Simon Says
by angietheunicorn
Summary: it is often said that playing games is fun. of coarse, the game Simon says is usually a fun game. but that is when you play it with sane people. when you play with a madman, the rules are, you do what he says, or you die! simons says....R
1. The game

Disclaimer I don't own anything. Got it? ok, I know that this thing shares a common title with a Sue Thomas episode, and it might be a tiny bit similar, but I am changing it, so don't sue! The riddles were written by me, see if you can fugure them out! If you do, I will give you a ...umm... cyber cookie!

another note, Fruits Basket should be put on the narchotics list, it is soooo addictive.

Tohru Honda looked around. She had a basket full of strawberries in her hands and she was walking towards Shig'ure's house. She smiled, feeling the slight breeze against her eyelashes. This what was she lived for. She adored the small moments that she had all the time. Most people didn't, but she liked to, since she didn't know when she would get to have them, or if she would ever.

Her brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and she wished once more that Yuki could have been there to help her with the Strawberries, but he had a student council meeting, and he said she could go to the secret base at any time. She decided she would make fruit rolls.

She hummed, then for the sheer exuberance of it, she started skipping.

"What a lovely, beautiful, wonderful, fun day for a little stroll." She said to herself. She sneaked a strawberry into her mouth, savoring the taste of the sweet, juicy fruit. she remembered with fondness the day she and Yuki had planted them.

But her joy was short-lived, for around the next tree, a menacing figure awaited her, a bludgeon in their hands.

No one heard her last scream

Yuki walked home, not really looking at the rode. It was plain and dusty, so why look at it? He had seen it a million times before. Besides, he had better things to do.

He was thinking of the choices he was supposed to make as the student council president. He sighed, thinking wearily of all the girls that had shown up. None of them really knew him, but he was kind to all of them, for Tohru.

That was why they called him the prince. He didn't mind, but he thought that if they knew the real him, he would be shunned. The very thought of being ignored and of being shunned like he had some disease made a shiver roll down him spine.

He began to feel a little anxious, what if they did find out, whom would he be a friend with then? He would have to erase all of their memories.

"Once my memories are gone, promise me you will still be my friend." Thoru had said once to him, almost a couple of days after she had seen him transform. That was the first time he was actually glad to open up, ever so slightly, to anyone. He began to wonder about wether she regretted him, knowing him, being his friend.

He took a calming breath. Miss Honda didn't mind his curse. Thoru Honda understood him, and he was glad he had met her.

He froze, not sure if he heard somthing or not. He looked left and right, searching the surrounding woods, eyes open and alert, listening for the scuffle of something. He heard a whimper. He stopped, listeining. Another whimper. His eyes searched the nearby woods, hoping to locate the sound. He heard it again. His eyes traced the curve of the road, then stopped

He saw a big lump in the road. It seemed to be some kind of animal in a canvas sack. It was human sized. He heard it whimper, and it sounded like Thoru.

He ran over to it, and it jerked.

"Please, don't hurt me!" a voice whispered frantically, and Yuki could hear sobs.

"Miss Honda?" he asked her, fiddling with the knot at the top of the sack, his trembling fngers slipping on the tighly knotted rope.

"Yuki?" she nearly choked. Her voice was raspy, like she had been screaming or crying for a while.

He took his pocket knife out and then worked on the knot, trying to keep her talking

"What happened, Miss Honda?" he asked her, slicing through the first loop of the knot.

" I was walking through the woods with a basket of strawberries and I was skipping, then something hit me on the back of the head, and I blacked out." She sobbed.

The knot was finally cut, and he pulled it down around her. She was blindfolded and there were bruises around her neak. Her hair had pieces of strawberry in it, and when he first saw her shirt, he nearly fainted

Huge red smears covered her front. But he soon realized that they were what was left of the strawberries.

She sobbed again, and he cut the blindfold away, and unbound her hands. She was about to throw herself into his arms, then stopped, and the tears flowed again. Her wrists were raw and red, and her neck had a thin cord around it. He cut that too, and a small envelope came off of it.

Yuki helped her to her feet after putting everything in the bag, as evidence. She couldn't walk very well.

"Miss Honda, I can't carry you, and you can't lean on me." He said, stating the problem.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm a burden, I can walk!" she exclaimed, wincing as she tried to stand. The world swirled around her, and the long shadows that the setting sun was making seemed to grow.

She fell down into the dirt, and Yuki held a hend to her forehead.

"You have a fever, you are bruised, you look like that cord was meant to kill you, you are covered with strawberry and you can hardly walk." He said. He turned down the other side of the path, hearing someone coming

"Tohru?" he heard Kyo call.

"She's over here, Kyo, and in bad shape!" he said, allowing a small hint of fear into his voice.

He came running to her, and then was by her side in an instant.

"What happened to you?" he demended. She mumbled something, and he put his hand against her head.

"You always get fevers! I told you that you need to chill out!" he exclaimed, voice raised in fear.

"We can make a stretcher, Kyo." Yuki said, stretching the canvas sack out. Kyo grunted something, too scared for Tohru's safty to argue with him.

They rolled her onto it, then lifted her. She had elapsed into uncounsioensness, and her bruises were like dark smears on her pale complextion. More bruises could be seen appearing on her arms and her feet. A black eye was starting to form over her right eye.

When they got her home, Shig'ure was out with his publicists, helping him with his story.

They put her on the couch, and Yuki went to get a book on the common illnesses and how to cure them. He came out and put a blanket over her still form.

"Hey, what's this for?" Kyo asked, pulling the tiny envelope out of a fold in Tohru's blanket. it had fallen out of the canvas sack when Kyo had shaken it.

"Open it, and see what it says." Yuki advised, paging through a book, looking at Tohru's face and feeling her pulse.

Kyo complied, and read it out loud,

_My name is Simon; you know my game_

_Do what I say, exact and the same._

_The treasure is great; the stakes are high_

_Tohru is poisoned, play my game or she dies._

"That-!" Kyo interrupted, then continued reading

_Solve this next riddle she's got a while to go_

_This game starts now, and it's my game you know_

_This first clue is simple, and I mean it is so_

_The second letter in that and the beginning of end_

_Not the last in this sentence, the very first, my friend_

_The beginning of buts and of aim and of name_

_Then finish this off with a spin and some flare_

_The very last clue is at the end of there._

_That is the riddle, take care and give heed_

_This game will get harder, your wits you will need_

_My name is Simon; I make the rules_

_I decide where you go, and when and what tools_

_Play my game, and I'll give you a clue_

_To what she is poisoned with and how it, to undo._

There was dead silence for a while, broken by Tohru herself,

"Yuki, don't! I'm a burden." She rasped. Her own pale clammy hands trembled above the blanket, and both Kyo and Yuki looked rather pale. Her forehead had tiny beads of sweat clinging to it, like dew on the grass, and her breathing was irregular and sounded harsh. Sweat had run into her bangs, making them plaster to her skin.

"No, just try to get better, Miss Honda." He tried to consol her

" Yuki, you don't need to show me where your secret base is, you've done so much for me already." She said, smiling, her feverish face sweating.

"She's gone delirious!" Kyo said. "What do we do?" he seemed to calm himself down. "When I find that guy, or girl, or dancing bear, I am going to rip him limb from limb and-!" he said, and then stopped, as the place flooded with cats and kittens.

"As much as I hate to say this, we have to play this game," Yuki said, anger pooling into his visage, fists trembling in anger. She had been his first friend to stay with him, through thick and thin. Now some serial killer was trying to toy with that friend ship! Rats started appearing from everywhere.

"Can you guys possibly find out from the smell what the heck is causing my friend pain?" Yuki asked, and Kyo asked the same. The animals all got to work, sniffing her fluttering breath and going off to search the forest for it.

"Ok, let's get the riddle pieced out." Kyo said, taking a spare piece of rice paper and a pencil and starting to rewrite it.

"I guess so." Yuki said, and he too, began to write.

Ok, I love my reviewers for all my stories. I know this isn't very much like the books, but hey, did I capture it?

Yuki; yes, Angie, I think you did; now maybe you should let it go.

Angietheunicorn glares at him, he just laughs.

Kyo; this is stupid, why can't you just give us the answer?

Angietheunicorn; what fun would that be, besides, I want to see how many people actually get it. It's not scrambled, so once you get the letters, you got the answer. Hint hint; ask your friends who have read the Redwall books for hints on the riddle, since this type of riddle is a common format in some of them. Thanks for reading! Next chappie being written.


	2. A Theater Tragedy

Disclaimer, I own nothing.. I want to thank my very lovely reviewers, and my very very, very helpful beta! Points to main curtain where Randomfandom100 smiles and waves, blushing modestly Applause Cheering Catcalls Nobel prizes Gir Pizza

Ok, the answer was henbane. Henbane is a type of herb that grows in the costal areas of Europe. Its Latin name is Hyoscyamus Niger. Its common names are Hog's bean or Devil's eye. Every part of the plant is poisonous. The ancient Greeks thought it could make one prophetic. Can cause delirium and death.

Thank you for the reviewers.

Kyo looked up from his paper, eyes round with excitement. He had been trying to solve it for the last two hours, in which Tohru had gotten steadily worse.

_This first clue is simple, and I mean it is so_

_The second letter in t__h__at and the beginning of __e__nd_

_N__ot the last in this sentence, the very first, my friend_

_The beginning of__ b__uts and of __a__im and of __n__ame_

_Then finish this off with a spin and some flare_

_The very last clue is at the end of ther__e_

"It's Henbane!" Yuki whispered, and Kyo looked up from his paper.

"What?" he asked, a hand digging into his orange hair.

"Henbane!" he said. Yuki frantically flipped through the pages and found the herb.

"And it can be cured." He said. They both looked over at Tohru's still figure. She wasn't breathing very slowly, and her breath was rattling and wispy. They both rushed to go make the antidote.

Gray eyes looked up from the wood floor. And a menacing smile played over the cold lips of the person who was watching with great care the two teens trying to make an antidote. They had gotten it right, and she would live, for now.

He turned and left, an envelope where he was standing was the only proof that he had been there at all. He would have more fun than he thought. Not to mention something sweet, something like revenge.

Tohru's eyes blearily opened, and Yuki and Kyo gave a sigh of relief. She tried to sit up, but then Kyo pushed her down gently.

"Rest, and sleep." He whispered. She slowly nodded her head, and then was at once asleep. Yuki shook his head, and let out another sigh.

"That was too close." Yuki muttered.

"Way too close." Kyo agreed

"I need to shake the blanket out, I will be right back." Kyo said, picking up the blanket.

He walked out, and his eyes beheld another envelope.

"Yuki!" he said.

"Hmmm?" he asked

"I don't think the game is over."

"What do you mean?" he asked, coming out. He saw the envelope, and then ripped it open. He read it aloud as they walked into the kitchen.

_Good job and well done, you have me impressed_

_She didn't die, and the riddle you guessed_

_So now, I had fun, let's play another._

_Same rules as before_

_But this will be tougher._

"There is nothing else." Yuki said

"Well, I'll be cursed if he plays with Tohru anymore!" Kyo growled. Yuki nodded

"We can't play this game, we absolutely won't!" Yuki added

Kyo nodded, and Yuki handed him the paper. Kyo looked at where Yuki had placed his thumb.

"Crap!" he yelled, and then Yuki looked at the letter. When his thumb had been, a word had appeared.

"It must be heat sensitive." Yuki commented

" No really! Stupid rat! That means that the game is still on!" he said

"Watch your tongue, you lazy cat!" Yuki warned

Tohru moaned in the next room, and both froze, looking into the room.

Kyo looked at the letter, then breathed on it. Words appeared, their elegant scrawl vexing Kyo.

_Now I know you don't want to, and I really don't care, _

_But Wednesday at noon, there's a theatre play_

_I want to see how she's doing, so she will be there_

_She'll be alone, with no guards or she won't live the whole day_

_And not a word will you tell her, don't show her this note_

_It won't matter at all, as it is something to burn_

_It won't matter what's on this, or what has been wrote_

_Making mistakes is a life costly way to learn_

_If you choose not to play, then the main role will be filled_

_Yuki knows the play, and he knows what I mean_

_When I tell him she comes, or she'll be in it, as killed_

_Antigone is the play and I mean the end scene._

"This is just the rambling of an insane madman!" Kyo said

"No, it makes sense." Yuki said, calmly

"What do you mean?"

"Antigone is a play that was written by a Greek play writer. It is a Greek tragedy." He said

"So! The only tragedy is that it was ever written, she's not going!" Kyo exclaimed

"The ending scene, Antigone, the main character, hangs herself." Yuki said. Kyo froze.

"So she goes with no protection, nothing, to see a play, not to mention with a psycho madman, and if we tell her to watch her back, and she goes, she will be hanged?" he asked.

"I believe that's what he means." Yuki replied, controlling his voice under and iron vice and trying to keep his face from boiling with anger.

" No. She is not going." Kyo stated.

" I agree." Yuki concluded

With that, they took out blankets and just to be safe, they put them next to where she was sleeping. He wasn't going to get her tonight.

Or so they thought.

The next morning they woke up, and both of them looked at the bed. It was empty. Yuki looked to the kitchens, and saw her tripping around. She looked drunk.

"Miss Honda, what are you doing?" Yuki asked

"M-making breakfast." She stuttered, leaning heavily on the wall.

"No, bedtime for you!" Kyo said, walking over and grabbing her wrist.

"But, your breakfast?" she asked, and sat down onto her bed. She laid down, and then she seemed less dizzy. Yuki pulled the covers up around her, and she smiled

"We have two hands, Miss Honda." Yuki said, and Kyo nodded.

"Where is Shigure?" She mumbled, and Yuki and Kyo looked at each other. Where was he?

"Oh, I remember. He had someone deliver a note, late last night, while you two were asleep." She muttered.

"Oh?" Kyo asked

"Yeah, it was saying that he was going to be gone the next few weeks, on tour, for his books." She said, her voice dying as she slept

"Did the messenger give anything else to you?" Yuki asked her.

"Letter, on the table." She said

Kyo ran over to it, and then sighed as it turned out to be a letter from his "girlfriend"

"Who is it from?" Yuki asked, taking a pot from the sink and washing it out. He then filled it with water, and put it on the stove to heat it.

"Kagura." He said.

There was a knock on the door, and Yuki brought in the paper that the paperboy had left. "You know, I wonder why this Simon person chose Wednesday." He said, stirring the tea. He went to close the door, then put the paper on the table. "The theater was playing Antigone all this week, and part of last week."

"Well, she will be better by tomorrow, but she still isn't going. She is under house arrest." Kyo said.

Yuki nodded, " but still why did he choose tomorrow?" he asked

"I could care less." Kyo said.

The day went onward from there. Kyo and Yuki tended to Tohru, while one of them would make tea or some food every now and again, although Kyo cooked for Yuki only because Yuki could burn a salad.

When night came. Tohru woke up once again, and she could walk around.

They all sat down after she had made dinner, and after she had finished eating, they began to ask her questions.

"Did you see the person, Miss Honda?" Yuki asked.

"No, I was struck in the back of the head." She said, and rubbed the back of her head. Her brown curls had lost a little of their gloss, but a good brushing would return it.

"Hey, why do you get to ask the questions?" Kyo asked.

"Because, I have a brain."

"You stupid rat!" he exclaimed.

Their banter soon faded away as Tohru went to bed, she had recovered a little, but she was still weak.

As night fell, they all went to bed; Yuki explaining that he was going to sleep outside her door to make sure the man that had hit her didn't do anything to her.

The next morning came up; and Tohru was up first, accidentally waking up Yuki. She apologized, and then went to go cook breakfast. They saw Kyo practicing kicks and punches in the sunlight

Yuki and Kyo tried to lessen Tohru's uncomfortable-ness by arguing with each other.

They continued to exchange insults through out the day, maybe to lessen the nervousness of the approaching noon dead line, until they heard the doorbell ring. Tohru got up to get it.

It was after noon, and both of them became worried. They both leapt after her, thinking about bombs exploding when she opened the letter, or someone throwing a sack over her head. She came back into the room, handed Kyo a letter, who was on the floor, and then went to close the door

It was the same scrawl as the last two notes.

He opened it while Yuki distracted Tohru, who had become at once intrigued, once she had come back into the kitchen.

The paper boy had been working extra hard, usually news would wait till the next day, but there must have been something very dreadful for an afternoon paper to be put out. The last time, a little girl had gotten lost and her body had been found, and that was why the paper had been delivered the time the body had been found, and had not been posponed until the morning paper.

_You aren't very smart, as it shows by the day_

_Miss Honda hasn't come yet_

_And there is death in the play_

_But really, don't forget._

_This was delivered with a newspaper, so look at the front page_

_Now will you send her, or do you wish to enrage._

_Tomorrow is closed off, as the actors have died_

_So Miss Honda will go on a bike for a ride_

_She will go to the park and sit on the first bench_

_She will do as I say, or my anger I'll vent_

_Tomorrow at noon, I'll be waiting there_

_And only miss Honda will come,_

_So play fair!_

"Tohru," Kyo said, and he beckoned to the paper.

She gave it to him. On the front page was an article about Emma Jones, who was the main character in the school play, Antigone, and how she hung herself during the play.

"Yuki, Tohru might want to go to the park tomorrow." He said, his anger making his hand tremble as he handed Yuki the note.

Tohru looked from Kyo to Yuki.

"I could stay here." She said, and then wilted when Kyo shook his head

"I'm sorry, if I did anything to upset you!" she said, bowing and looking at the floor.

"No, miss Honda, it isn't you, but," he said, reading the paper Kyo handed him. His voice was strained, and Tohru looked at him, shock etched into her face. He almost never sounded strained "A walk in the park will do you good."

"No, really, I have to get caught up here!" she insisted, they shook their heads.

"Ok." She said, and then looked at the sink. She stood up from the table, and she must have decided that she wasn't goin to press them, taking their dishes and setting them into the sink as she began to clean them.

" You guys, really, you know you can talk to me, right?" they nodded. She decided to leave it at that.

She didn't hear Kyo slam his fist on the table, as she had dropped a dish at that exact moment. It shattered, and she stammered apologies while cleaning it up. When the floor was clean and she was washing the dishes again, Kyo turned to Yuki,

"But she isn't going alone," Kyo said, and Yuki looked undecided. Then he nodded.

"She isn't. One of us should stay here, to make sure no one bombs the house."

" Yuki, you have to stay here." Kyo said, and Yuki shook his head

"Fine, we both can go, but we have to be discreet." They both said.

Little did they know that the "rambling madman" had his own plans, which he had prepared for them to do what they were about to. He was a smart man, and he smiled as blue eyes and blonde hair glinted in the light.

The person who delivered him the happy news smiled a cold smile, sharing the master's happiness. They would get what they want, and no one would catch them. No one. Besides, dead men tell no tales.

Hey, I think that was good… maybe. But you know, there is a little box down there… Please tell me if I am ooc, or if I misspelled the names wrong. My spell check doesn't like the name Tohru. Who lurnd mi spel chek to spel?

oh yeah, another authors note, i don't swear, and i don't write profanity, so Kyo is not going to curse, and i know that it is a little out of charecter, but if you really have a problem, maybe you should not read this story. i am putting my feet down. lols thanks for reading! also i would like to thank my lovely Beta, Randomfandom100!!!

Lol not really a riddle this time, but there will be one next time., i promise.


	3. See? Saw!

Disclaimer

This story has been disclaimed. Thank you to my beta randomfandom100 and my reviewers. Ok, get your thinking caps on; I might lose some of you to this next riddle

Tohru looked around. She was walking along the paved trail, her feet hardly making any noise on the soft, gravelly road. She heard something stir in the tree next to her. She walked her bike towards the bench. It was secluded in a small alcove, with trees and shrubs to cover her from any one's view She smiled, feeling the sun on her face, and the gentle breeze in her hair. She looked down on the bench, and there was an envelope with her name on it.

Kyo, who was watching from a tree, intently looked at it, knowing he would be too late if he tried to intercept her.

She read it, then looked around, confused. She noticed a little boy passing by with a bunch of fortune cookies from a nearby vendor. She asked him something, and he handed his extra one over.

She cracked it open, eating a little bit of the cookie. A tiny paper fell out, and she picked it up, joy on her face.

Suddenly, she was jerked back, and Kyo fell out of the tree. She had just vanished! He ran over to the bench, and Yuki picked the paper up.

"Where did she go?" he asked, searching around. Not a leave was stirring in the bushes around the small bench.

"Kyo read this." Yuki said, handing him a piece of paper with a hand that was trembling slightly.

Kyo picked it up, and then read it.

_You've broken the rules, so guess what? I win_

_But on to round three, is a good game a sin?_

Kyo turned around, and a boy was looking rather confused, holding a letter.

"Umm, sir? I was told to give this to you." he said, a hand resting in his golden curls, and Yuki asked,

"Did you see who gave you those orders?"

"No, it came in my mail." He said, then handed Kyo the envelope.

Kyo growled, and then ripped it open, scowling at the boy. He left.

_What do you call the pointy end of a needle?_

_And what do you call an off minus an "f"_

_And who was the person to found the city_

_And what do thieves deal in other than lies?_

" This clue is interesting." Yuki said, looking it over

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I can only say what the third line is." he said. " It's Ragus, Ragus Chin was the first settler here."

"That's nice, but what can the other three mean?" Kyo exclaimed, vexed to the point where he wanted to rip his orange hair out.

"Well, the pointy end of a needle, that is a tip." Yuki said.

"Off minus an "f"?" Kyo pondered. " Of"

"Ragus." Yuki interjected.

"Theft deceit, bluffs, lies, smuggling, murder, breaking the law." Kyo rattled off.

"It has to be something that thieves deal in." Yuki said, then he thought about something.

"Bluffs!" he suddenly yelled, and looked at Kyo

"Huh?"

"Ragus's Bluffs! There is a fault near the city, not too far away, and it is called Ragus's Bluffs!" he said, running off, into the forest, Kyo falling behind him.

"Yuki, are you sure?" Kyo asked, feeling desperation and adrenaline rush through his veins.

"It has to be!" he said, and they ran onwards.

To get to the point, let's just say it was a little bit farther than just, "not too far away." and by the time they actually saw them, they were both gasping. Yuki looked towards the edge, seeing a stick with a string attached to it. On the end of the string, a letter dangled in the wind, whipping over a large fall that ended with humongous pointy rocks. Both youths felt horror, not wanting to find her bloody and broken body lying on the rocks. They both looked over the edge, and sighed in relief. Kyo felt all the blood rush to his head again. She wasn't dead… yet. He turned to look at the letter.

Kyo reached out and grabbed it, then leaning backwards and falling on the ground, gasping as he pulled the letter open. The wind chose that moment to blow and the letter was pulled from his grasp and flew gently off the cliff. Kyo and Yuki both lunged for it, and missed, falling onto the cliff edge.

Yuki held Kyo back before he jumped to get it

"Let me go, you stupid rat!" he yelled, flinging his arms at Yuki, lunging to get the letter.

"Stupid, you think you can get it, you won't be any help to miss Honda if you get every bone in your body snapped clean in two!"

"But her life, it depends on this freaking game, on that letter!" he growled, lunging again, but Yuki held him.

"Simon knows we couldn't get that letter, and if he wants to have us play his game, he has to keep her alive, or us alive, or just one of us alive! He said, and Kyo stopped fighting.

"But still, how do we know he didn't kill her?" he asked

"We don't, but the game is over if he did."

"Is that as she is to you? A game?" Kyo yelled, throwing himself to his feet and walking towards the house.

"No, Miss Honda is not a game to me." He said, silently enraged that Kyo would say that. She was his first best friend!

"Well, then prove it!" Kyo stormed, raging off into the forest. Yuki sighed, then looked back to the cliffs, seeing a bit of white in the distance, flitting and turning in the air, getting smaller and smaller.

That night, neither Kyo nor Yuki could sleep. They both tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, both wondering and hoping and wishing and pondering whether the next day could bring only good or ill.

Just as the sun was beginning to rise, the paperboy threw his morning paper into the yard, and then scratched his curly red hair, and then he left.

Kyo rubbed his eyes, coming out of the kitchen, and his eyes darted to the paper. He searched the paper for any signs of death, but there was none. He sighed in relief.

Yuki came down, also rubbing his eyes, and he noticed the paper.

"is she-?" he asked

"No, she still is alive!" he exclaimed, tossing the paper on the table. An envelope flew out, and both Yuki and Kyo dove for it.

Yuki got it and ripped it open, pulling out a picture.

"Look." He commanded, and Yuki looked at it. It was a picture of Tohru, and she was bound and blindfolded. Propped against her chest was the morning paper, the date showing brightly against her shirt.

"Ok, so she is still alive." Yuki said, and Kyo nodded, taking the picture in his hands.

"But there isn't another clue." Yuki said, searching the envelope.

"This picture is the clue…." Kyo said.

"But it's just a picture, there is not writing on the back or anything.

"But you see?" Kyo asked, smiling. "The little light that there is, it is coming from the right side of the picture." He pointed, and he was right, " and this looks like early morning, an electric light would be brighter, so this has to be the sunrise.

"So?"

"That means she was facing south."

"How do you get that?"

"The sun rises in the east, and she is facing us, and the scant sunlight is coming through the right side of the picture…" Kyo said, " my master trained me in tracking by doing something like this to train me!" he said, his voice excited.

"Ok, I can kind of see that, but there is a lot of houses that have windows that face east.."

"Look at her hair though." He said, and Yuki took the picture and looked, pulling it closer to his eyes.

"Some sort finely ground substance." He concluded

"Now look at the wall on the right end of the picture." Kyo said, and Yuki did

"A shadow."

"A shadow of a saw."

"And the sawmill down by the river has a window that faces east." Yuki said, eyes lighting up.

"Let's go, now." Kyo said, already out the door.

It took about half an hour before they had gotten there. They heard the sawmill running, and someone screaming. They both ran in, and Kyo dove, landing on the conveyer belt to the huge saw that was whirring and sawing on the log Tohru was tied to. It pulled log in, eating it's way through the tough wood. She was tied by what looked like many different ropes, with complex knots. Kyo took a rope and snapped it in his hands, while Yuki tried to search for the controls for the huge device.

He found them, watching while Kyo continued to try and get her free, one rope at a time, not making a difference to match the time that he had.. Tohru had stopped screaming when she felt Kyo tugging at the bonds. She was still blindfolded.

Yuki found the button to stop the machine, but it had been dug out, the rubber gone. He had to find something quick, something to jab in the small aperture to mash the controls and save his friend's life.

Meanwhile, Kyo was ripping through the bonds, one eye watching the approaching swirl on silver. He knew he couldn't free her in time, but he was a ninja! Couldn't he find another solution? He would have too.

He looked around for something, anything, and saw a chain. It was on a pile of huge chains that were used to drag the trunks in, and they looked rather rusty.

He leapt over to it, picking up a link and trying to untangle it from the other chains on the floor.

Tohru screamed again as she felt the wood around her being sawn through. She knew it was the end.

Kyo picked the chains up, and then slung them through the air, then diving over the long, to shield Tohru while trying to stop him from getting into a position that would require a transformation.

With a heavy clang, the saw snagged the chain, dragging it in at a violently dangerous pace, and a link whipped past, striking Tohru on her cheek, causing her to cry out in pain.

Kyo heard the saw whir and crunch the chain, and then it stopped, and the motor growled, then started again. The quick moving teeth broke the chain.

Kyo kicked more of the chain in again, and the saw struck it, sparks flying out.

It was whipped inside, and the machine whirred into action again, Kyo cursing himself and looking at the saw blade, only an arms length away. He ground his eyes shut. And waited for the pain.

The machine stopped, growling and stalling, then sparks flew out of the motor underneath, and then it started smoking. Kyo opened his eyes.

There was blood on the blade.

Kyo looked beneath him, seeing Tohru's face cringe, a huge bloody weld down her cheek. The blood had flowed into the ridges of the huge tree, and had been smeared when the saw had gnawed through.

"Kyo, is she ok?" Yuki asked, coming over. He saw the saw, and the blood. His eyes searched, then he sighed, finding her safe and rested.

He rushed over as Kyo took a piece of chain that had been sawed to an edge and started cutting through the ropes. In a second, Yuki was on the log, removing the blindfold.

"He was going to kill me." Was all she would say to them, tears flowing down her cheeks?

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't supposed to find me until later, when he left the letter for you." She whispered, hugging her knees, as she couldn't hug them.

They both looked like they wanted to hug her, to comfort her, but they couldn't.

"So the picture wasn't a clue?" Kyo asked her. She shook her head, then her eyes widened. "That was why you two were so tense…" she said, then her eyes narrowed in anger. "I could have died, I nearly did! Why didn't you tell me?" she voice was desperate, but as she looked at their faces, she felt the anger drain out of her. "I'm sorry, I am just having a bad day."

"Well, you have been tied to a log that was about to become woodchips." Kyo said, getting a small smile out of her.

"But, Tohru, we didn't have a choice. He killed the main character of Antigone if we told to about the letters we received."

"How did you find me?" she whispered, her voice raw from screaming. She coughed weakly, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"The light, the room, Kyo, the dust in your hair." Yuki said, stroking her hand gently. Kyo eyed his hand, and Yuki took it away.

"I was going to die." She said, more to herself.

"But you're alive right now." Kyo said, grabbing her shoulders gently.

"What happened?" the red haired paperboy asked, coming in, his eyes going wide.

"Why are you here?" Yuki asked him, eyes narrowing

"I was coming to deliver your paper, and I took the long way around, and I heard screaming, and the saw whirring. I must admit, I thought that ghosts were here, so I was a coward, listening to the girl screaming for ten minutes." He said, and then he turned to leave

"Where are you going?" Kyo asked, suspicious at once. He looked at his palms they felt different. Then he looked back at the boy.

"Well, she was saved, wasn't she? I'm a paper boy, this will be in the morning paper." He said. Yuki stopped him

"You aren't going to do that." Yuki said,

"Why not?" he asked, then smiled, " oh, modest I see."

"No, we think someone is after her, someone who at this moment, thinks she is dead, and we want to keep it that way."

"Ok, but what-?" he asked

"Don't say a thing unless you want to have your face rearranged." Kyo said, and the boy paled. Kyo rubbed his hands together.

" Ok, I won't say a thing, not a peep, not a word, sir, please, I like my nose!" he cried, running away

Kyo turned back to Tohru. " Let's go home." He said, rubbing his hands together. They stung slightly.

"You aren't thinking; if Simon is watching, then he will know she is not dead." Yuki said.

"Then he already knows, the saw is off and we aren't blessing him out of existence." Kyo muttered. Tohru cleared her throat.

"He doesn't know." She said, rubbing her upper arms gently.

"How do you know?" Yuki asked her, eyes filled with concern for his friend

"When he had kidnapped me, he took me to a house, when he un-gagged me, he let me use the restroom. He put me in a room, and then went to get me food to eat. I looked at the desk and saw the planner; he had today's spot filled with two entries.

"Which were?" Kyo asked her, feeling his hands sting sharply and he looked down. They were raw and red.

"What's wrong, Kyo?" Yuki asked, and Kyo showed him his hands. Tohru rubbed her upper arms, feeling them sting, and Yuki looked at them

"Your hands, they are covered with …acid?" Yuki said, eyes filling with horror.

"We need mineral oil!" Tohru exclaimed, feeling her hands sting gently.

"But we can't leave, wait, yeah we can!" Kyo said, and they left, hoping to get home to ease the burn and sting of the acid.


	4. Hey! He speaks!

Disclaimer. I own nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Ok? Thank you to my lovely beta.

Tohru and Kyo dipped cloths into mineral oil, and then rubbed it over their burning skin, feeling the sting fade away.

"This isn't good." Yuki said, tapping his finger on the polished table.

"We know that, stupid rat!" Kyo said, his non-existing patience wearing thin.

"Guys, guys, please, arguing isn't going to help." Tohru squealed.

"Your right." Kyo said, still glaring

"So what isn't good?" she asked

"He covered the chains with acid."

"Really?" Kyo interjected, sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

"Yes, that means that he was expecting you use the chain to stop the saw."

"But- he said I was going to die!" Tohru said, positively perplexed.

"Yes, well, he poisoned you too." Yuki said, reminding her of the few days before, " I'm sure he expected you to die then too."

"But why me?" she asked, feeling bad for the trouble she was causing. "But I still can't imagine someone, not caring for anyone, only seeing death as a game. I feel sorry for him almost. Can you imagine what that must be like?" she asked.

"You are the only way he can. He knows we will save you." Kyo said, staring at his hands, dabbing at them with a damp cloth. " And feel sorry for him? I feel sorry for you! He is trying to kill you after all!" he said.

"I am causing so much trouble, I should leave." She said, getting up and picking up the bowl.

"No, don't leave!" both Kyo and Yuki said.

"But, I have been such a burden. This guy, he doesn't sound like the guy to give up. Already you guys have done so much for me, I'm only a bothersome pawn, a danger to you guys." She said, tears in her eyes. She cared about them so much, but she knew she was a danger.

"Do you think that we would have went after you and gone to the trouble we have if we didn't want to?" Kyo asked her. Her eyes went wide.

" For once in my life, I think I have to agree with Kyo." Yuki said, and then turned to him. " Don't let it go to your head."

"But he will just use me again! You guys can't protect me forever!" she cried.

"But, Tohru, think about it, we want you to be safe." Yuki said.

"But I can't put you guys in danger!" she exclaimed

"Where are you going to go? Where is safer?" Kyo demanded.

She thought about it. If she got another tent, she would be easier pray.

"I don't have anywhere to go." She stated, and then fell to her knees again. She scratched her head, and then started to cough as tiny white specks fell from her hair and went into her throat.

"Tohru, are you ok?" Yuki asked, and Kyo went over to look at her.

"I am, its just- cough- something- cough- is irritating my throat- cough-." She said, coughing.

Kyo ran his fingers through her hair, and then studied them.

"The dust, in your hair, I thought it was sawdust." He stated, and then continued. " It's plaster dust?" he asked, and Yuki came over.

"Yeah, it is defiantly plaster dust." Yuki said. Suddenly, there was a huge thump.

"Who's there?" Kyo demanded, and a dark shadow came closer. They heard the door close gently, and saw someone taker their shoes off.

Yuki went beside the door, and the small figure seemed to take off a scarf.

The person walked into the hall, and Yuki grabbed them, and lifted them.

"Put me down, Yuki put me down!" Momiji Sohma exclaimed, wriggling in his hands. He put him down.

"Momiji!" Tohru said, and he came over and gave her an over enthusiastic hug

"Tohru!!" he cried, squeezing her. She squeaked.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, coughing. Her face was rather pale.

"Tohru, what's wrong?" he asked her. He looked at her raw red wrists, from being tied various time, and the long scratches that had come from the log, not to mention her bloody face.

"Huh? Oh!" She said, and then Momiji went and got a wet towel. Yuki took it from him, and gently wiped her face of blood.

"Someone, tell my whats wrong, why is Tohru bloody!!" he cried, and another figure ran in.

"Momiji! You know better to run off-!" Hatori Sohma said. He looked at Tohru's face, the bloody cloth, the long scratches, the mineral oil, the red burns on her upper arms, and then asked

"Miss Honda, what happened to you?" he asked her, coming over and putting a hand to her forehead. He took the cloth from Yuki, and then took a bottle out of his pocket.

" Hatori, what are you doing?" Yuki asked him, a little suspicious still.

"It's an anesthetic, I carry some around, for Momiji." He said, then dabbed her cheek gently. She winced; it stung, but sat still. Momiji was looking over Hatori's shoulder, watching him with awe.

"So, I'm waiting to hear the story behind all this." Hatori said calmly, and Yuki started explaining, Kyo seethed quietly in the corner.

"Some sick, twisted, insane, madman is playing a game with us. He tried to kill Tohru at least three different times, or threatened to kill her that many and a few." Yuki said, and then stood to get the letters, for proof. There was a small knock on the door, and Yuki went to get it. The night was falling and when he shut the door, he had an angry look on his face.

"Yuki, what is it?" Kyo asked, and Yuki held up another letter.

"What do you mean?" Tohru asked, standing up too quickly, falling to her feet.

"Miss Honda?" Yuki asked, turning to look at Hatori.

"Blood loss, plus fever, she needs rest." He said, and Momiji got a bed for her, a concerned look in his eyes.

When she was set and sleeping in the make shift bed, the others gathered around the table.

"Now, open the letter." Hatori commanded, and Yuki obeyed,

_My wonderful friends, how clever are you!_

_And Kyo, your knowledge and wits have grown too._

_But here is the next clue, head the warning with care_

_And the warning is this, obey me or get a death share_

_Here is the clue, and I can't wait to see_

_How our little game ends, deathly or happily_

_Mine is not easy, really, Albright?_

_Like only in living may interestingly_

_Necessities even altogether live_

_Only in living._

"And that is the sonnet from our wonderful friend." Yuki said, and Hatori began to laugh.

"Whats so funny?" Kyo asked, " it's as clear as mud!"

"Take the first letter of each word." Hatori commanded.

_M__ine _i_s __n__ot __e__asy, __r__eally, __A__lbright?_

_L__ike __o__nly __i__n __l__iving __m__ay__ i__nterestingly_

_N__ecessities __e__ven__ a__ltogether__ l__ive_

_O__nly__ i__n__ l__iving._

"Mineral oil?" Yuki said, then his eyes went wide.

"So, we already knew that." Kyo pointed out.

"That's the point!" Yuki said.

"What do you mean?" Kyo asked him, and then quieted his voice, hearing Tohru moan in her sleep.

"It means, silly, that you guys got a head start on him!" Momiji exclaimed, laughing as enlightenment hit Kyo like a ton of bricks.

"He won't be watching our house for a few hours!" Kyo said.

"Yup, that means we can set a trap." Yuki said, and Hatori looked rather puzzled.

"Whats wrong, Hatori?" Yuki asked him

"Well, these riddles remind me of a friend I had when I was first teaching doctoring. We went back a while, and although we were good friends, he never found out about the curse. He always tried to find it out though. Anyways, he wrote many riddles like this."

"Really?" Kyo asked, and Momiji nodded, having heard Hatori talk about him and tell him stories about his childhood, excluding his only love.

"The funny thing is was that his name was Simon." He casually added, and Yuki and Kyo jumped, like they both had been struck by lightning.

"Simon!" they both exclaimed, and then Tohru sat straight up.

"What's Simon?" she asked, her eyes holding desperation.

"He's the guy who is doing all these things to you. " Momiji said, coming over to feel her forehead.

"Simon? Simon." She gasped, and the others looked at her. Hatori came over to her and felt for a fever, just like Momiji had done, only this time he pulled his hand back, frowning.

"Simon, Simon says." She recalled, and then her eyes went wide.

"Yes, Simon, you know him?" Hatori said, and she looked off into the distance, looking like she knew this, but it wasn't coming to her. It also didn't help that she was tired. Drop dead tired, to be precise. Her sentences were hardly coherent. They were more like a string of thoughts, all connected by a single seemingly irrelevant connection. A lot like algebra two.

"Letter. He talked about a letter, way high up. He didn't mean for me to hear. Talking to himself." She said, watching as Hatori felt her pulse. She continued, " The letter he read it to someone, or to himself. Something about. Something about." She gasped, yawning. Kyo was handed a brush by Hatori, and was motioned Kyo brush her hair out, to make it easier to see the extent of the damages around her neck. He ran the brush through her hair, still finding dried pieces of what looked like Yuki's 'secret base'.

He his the small smile that crept into his eyes as the feeling of her hair in between his fingers.

"Something about what?" Yuki asked her

"Something about a wig." She finally concluded, then fainted.

"Miss Honda!" Yuki cried, and in a moment, he was by her side, along with Kyo and Momiji.

In the distance, they heard the yowl of a large cat, and the grunt of a man. Kyo perked up.

"What is it, what happened?" Yuki asked him

"I can't really understand, it is a tiger, protecting young one. Against mean man; little tiger, not really a tiger-tiger." He said, and then his eyes went wide

"Kisa!" he cried, and then he and Yuki both left, leaving the sliding door open, jumping over the logs and through the night.

The clouds had started to boil in, and they could feel the tension in the air that meant they were in for a thunderstorm. They jumped over a log, and then skidded into a clearing, seeing a heaving white tiger. Behind her, in the crook made by two huge tree roots, a tiny tiger cub rested. Kyo looked around, not seeing anyone.

"Kisa!" Yuki said, while Kyo tried to see what was wrong with the huge tiger.

The cub shivered, and then let Yuki pick her up. Yuki turned just as Kyo came over, shaking his head. The large tiger had died, a cut to the throat.

It started raining, and Yuki turned to Kyo, " what was she doing out here, alone?" he asked Kyo

"Maybe for the same stupid reason we are!" Kyo yelled, making Kisa cringe. He looked bad, then said, softer,

"I'm not mad at you, Kisa." He said, taking his coat off, for when she changed back.

"I'm mad because someone keeps hurting Tohru." In a bloom of color, Kisa stood there.

"Sissy? Hurt?" she asked, her blonde hair instantly becoming wet. Yuki covered her up as she started to shiver, maybe from the fight, or maybe because of the idea that Tohru was hurt, but either way, Yuki covered her as they headed back.

When they came in, Hatori was speaking softly to Momiji

"I don't like her color. Akito won't be happy with me if I stay, so I can't, but I can't leave her here, she is too unstable as it stands." He said, and then turned around, hearing the door shut. Kisa ran over to Tohru, whose cheeks had gone rather pale, and tiny beads of sweat on her face.

"Why did she get worse?" Kyo asked

"I'm not a doctor, you stupid cat, but maybe it might be because she was poisoned a couple of days ago, kidnapped and left in the middle of the road in a canvas sack, dragged all over the place bound and gagged, scared to death, probably hungry, not to mention tied to a log that was being cut in two, and on top of that, she was inhaling plaster dust." Yuki said, annoyed at both him and whomever this Simon person was.

"O." Kyo said, backing down, a first for him. He wasn't used to the Yuki he was seeing now. The others all looked up at him.

"So? I'm annoyed! Anyways, Hatori, start speaking, you have a lot to say. Talk about Simon, talk about Tohru's condition, just talk!" he finished, sitting down

"Simon was a friend of mine, or he was until he left to go train for some ninja master." He looked at Kyo. "The same master you had, or have, what ever one you are doing right now. He learned a lot, and he came back, expecting me to be the same, as I have never changed when he was around. But that was after I had to-." He died off, gulped, then said, " erase my, assistant's memory." He finished, and they all thought about the girl he had loved. And about how Akito had been so mean when he blamed the wrong person for his own actions.

"So, he came back, and he noticed you were different." Yuki prodded gently.

" Yes, and he had never been able to figure out what was wrong with me, even though he was planning to be a doctor too. Anyways, he was angry with me for changing when I was gone, because he never could. He tried, letting me tell you, he threw girls at me left and right, but they never fazed me. He thought I was going to be like that forever, so he gave up, and went to do training. When he came back, I was changed, and he knew that is was because of a girl. Something he never could do." He said, softly. Kisa looked up, her tiny tiger ears detecting movement. Then there was a knock on the door. A flash of lighting provided ominous insight for the feeling that pervaded the room. Hair rose on the back of Kyo's neck, and Yuki felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

A/N lol, I am having so much fun writing this story. I have up to chapter six written.

Here is your teaser for the rest of the story.

Isn't it funny how in fan fiction, the main characters are hardly ever touched? No one kills off the main ones. Well, that kind of ruins the story…. But I warn you; 'no one' is not I.


	5. Staying Strong

Disclaimer

Disclaimer. _**READ THIS VERY IMPORTANT A/N!!**_

This scene is not in order chronologically. I don't know where I am going with this, but heck, I'm going to do this proper. Remember, this could be at any time in the story, or before it even.

Tohru looked up from her hands. The tingling was gone. How could he do this to her? Every time they touched, fire seemed to spread from the areas in contact. She lifted her eyes up from the floor, staring at the back of his head. He didn't notice her. He was listening to his I-pod. He looked so happy. It had been a while since she had seen him smile like that.

_I'm not going to let that smile fade._ She promised herself. Sure, he was under stress, I mean, how could you not? He had saved her so many times, from letting her into him home, all the way to catching her when she fell.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked, his hand curling into his hair. She startled, the watched as a smile spread over his face.

"Yeah, but, how are you holding up?" she asked him. He smiled, and then shrugged his shoulders.

"I've been doing well" He smiled again.

_And I'm going to do all in my power to keep it that way._ She thought. _No matter what. I am going to be stronger, less defenseless._

That decided, she closed her eyes, rested her head back on the pillow, and drifted off.

_Time for me to protect them_

_**Thanks for reading this. Oh yeah, just in case you are wondering, I DO own fruit's basket, and I DID make up all the characters. Or, at least that's what I keep telling myself. Yes, I know, I really shouldn't lie.**_


	6. Getting AHead of Myself

Disclaimer, I own nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing, I write nothing

yeah, so I haven't have theese chapters beted yet, but I go over them again and again before I post them. please, remember, do not hate me at the end of this chapter.

Disclaimer, I own nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing, and I write nothing. Excreta, got it? Thanks to my wonderful beta, Ranfomfandom100. Thanks to my reviewers too.

They heard the door slam open, and Haru came in, looking for Kisa

"What happened to Tohru?" he asked, giving Kisa a hug. " Kisa, you know better to run off."

"Many things, which time are you referring to?" Yuki asked him, getting another cup from the cabinet. He then sat down again, Kyo getting up to pour himself some tea.

"Any of them." Haru said, then he seemed to remember something.

"Hatori, there was a letter on the doorstep for you, here." He said, handing him a letter, the words on the front of the envelope written in the same scrawl that the others had been written in.

He opened it, pulled out a second envelope, pulling out a paper, and then he sat there, looking around. He read through it fast, and then read it out loud.

_Hello, my friend, _

_This might reach you too late, as I am sick and am soon going to pass from this world into the next one. I hope this letter finds you in good time, and in good health. I am suffering from cancer to my lungs, confined to my bed for the past seven weeks. But do not worry; I have passed my knowledge and learning onto a bright young mind, a sweet boy named Simon. He will know what to do with it. He is a little shy, and a little extreme, but overall, he is a good person. He has secrets that he has kept for a while, and he could use someone checking up on him from time to time, as I think he might be suffering from mental disorders, but he is a sweet boy._

_Moving on, what happened to the sweet girl that you hung out with? I heard she got married. I have kept in contact with her for a while now, and you gave up so much. She says she learned so much from you. To part with her like you did, why, even I am astounded. Such mental and emotional scars you must carry._

_I am glad that you have finally gotten over your love, as it was going to drag you down into nothingness, had it continued. Your mental health was quickly diminishing. You write of the wonderful changes that have been made among your extended family, and I only wish that I could meet the person whom has caused so great of a change. I remember Yuki. He was little, and so shy, but you write so much of how he had changed, and you write of Kyo, and how he has finally learned to somewhat restrain his temper. Surely I would be blessed to meet the person responsible, but, as I lie here, sick and dying, I know I cannot meet this person. May your life be long and may you find in your heart the strength to forgive me for any trespasses I have made._

_Your friend,_

_Simon Ginny._

There was silence for a moment, and then Momiji said, "Well, he can't be Simon, since he is dead by now." He went silent, seeing the look in the eyes of the people around him, who were thinking of the changes that Simon was talking about.

" He never got to meet Miss Honda." Yuki said, knowing she was the reason that he had been changed. Kyo and Hatori were thinking of the same idea.

" We have been taking her for granted." Kyo stated. She moaned, and Hatori felt her forehead gently. His brow was creased, as if he was trying to decide something.

"I have to leave, but I can't leave miss Honda here." He stated, and Kisa looked at him with large eyes.

"I'm going alone with her to the main house, it's too risky to take anyone else." He said

" Why, what risk?" Yuki asked.

"The letter wasn't there when you came in before, that means your mysterious Simon, the boy my friend taught, must know we have gotten the burns treated."

"But he might have had someone else drop it off." Yuki said.

"Besides, he isn't supposed to know that she isn't dead. You have to protect Momiji and Kisa in case he comes to harm them." Hatori said, wrapping Tohru in a blanket, and putting one gently over her face to stop against the rain.

"Why can't you just call Akito?" Momiji said, jumping up to pick up the phone. The line had been cut. He looked at the phone in shock. Yuki eyed the doors; this Simon guy was starting to creep him out.

"That's a good reason why, huh?" Hatori said, gathering her in his arms.

"But what about-?" Kyo started, but Hatori cut him off.

"We are dealing with a murderer, and insane murderer. Do you think he will stay his hand from harming those of you who are here when he finds her gone?" he asked, and they went silent. " I am going to go now, be safe, and Yuki, keep them safe." He said, looking at Kisa and Haru then to Momiji and then his gaze finally resting on Kyo and Yuki.

He left, leaving out the back door, stepping into the rain with a new purpose. His shoes sank into the mud that had pooled with the heavy amount of rainfall that had fallen like tears from Kisa's eyes when she locked her words away. His mind was locked on the sick girl that was in his arms now.

She was the one that broke through his insecurities; she had broken through his cold wintry heart and had brought spring and new life. She reminded her so much of his love, but his love was married and living a blissfully ignorant life, not remembering their relationship.

He looked down at Tohru's feverishly upturned face, her brown bangs poking out of the blanket. She wasn't that heavy. The blanket kept her warm, while keeping him from transforming. The rain soon had him drenched to the bone.

He walked along the muddy paths, oblivious to anything but his task, to keep her safe. He eyed the forest around him warily every now and again, but he was soon lost in thought. The rain provided a monotonous beat, as he was soaked again and again.

In the cover of the trees, a lone figure watched him, smiling with evil intent, gray eyes focused on the bundle the Hatori Sohma was carrying. Gray eyes, so free of compassion and emotion, filled with mirth at the fun this game was bringing him. Humans were so funny sometimes. Death was a real catalyst, causing confusion and chaos, making them run about like ants on an anthill. This time, he would have more fun than before.

She was a sweet girl, what was she doing with them? His servant would get what he wanted; she wasn't the type to fight back, this Tohru Honda. He would cover her trail, and if she didn't like Simon's servant, oh well. if she rebelled, they would find her the next day.

He moved swiftly, and the man on the road turned, eyes widening in horror as he went down, and as his burden stolen from him.

Shigure walked along the muddy path, his tour over now. His shoes squelched in the mud, and his hands felt so cold. He couldn't wait to get home and ask Tohru to make some of her wonderful filling meals for him. That was what he missed most while he was gone. Sure, he had fun teasing his publicist, but that got dull after she tried to kill herself. He wished it wasn't raining so hard.

He shivered again; really glad he had brought his umbrella for the trip, even though it wasn't raining. As if hearing his comment, it started to rain. The rain hammered down, like the bowling balls dropped off of towers in the olden days to figure out gravity. He put the umbrella higher, holding the lantern in the other hand. He had past the dull shadows of the Sohma clan village some time ago. He looked ahead, seeing a lump in the road.

"Hatori?" he asked, coming over. He moaned, and turned over, looking up at Shigure.

"Simon, he got her!" he seemed to shout. He had a huge bump on the back of his head. He had a bloody lip. Shigure helped him to his feet, then half led, half carried him, looking for the tell tale signs that his house was near. He came up to the door, wondering why there was not any sound. Well, it was very late, or raining.

He came in, and helped Hatori into the main room, onto the carpet. He laid him out, and then looked into the corner.

"Yuki?" he asked, and Yuki came forward, holding Kisa and Momiji behind his back

"Shigure?" he asked, and Kyo came out, and asked. "Hatori, where is Tohru?" Hatori winced, and then said.

"I lost her. Simon, he came for her." he whispered. Everyone gasped. Kisa started crying. Momiji looked worried.

"What is going on?" Shigure asked, and then his face fell as they told him.

Everyone was silent as the rain slowed, and the sky lightened. Then the rain continued.

Yuki went outside, to check for the next riddle. He found an envelope.

He brought it in, and everyone watched as he opened it. a tiny piece of paper fell out, and a photo, which fell face down. He picked it up, reading the paper first.

_I win_

The photo was one of Tohru. Her eyes were open and shiney, and she was on a white bed. Her hands were sprawled outwards, her fingers stiff and straight on the white cloth. There were bloodstains around her neck, and streams of blood had clotted around her throat, the crimson substance turning coppery on the white sheets. Although it was too bloody to see the exact cut, they knew that no one could survive that much blood loss. No one

Yuki's eyes filled with tears as he took a step and fell to his knees. Kyo came over, worry on his face, he saw the letter, then whispered. Just the sight of her stiff, straight hands, those hands, the hands that made him food, that dug into the rich soil, just seeing them now, stiff, straight, lifeless, pale, made his heart speed up, and not in the good way.

"No…no. No! She isn't! Nooo! NOOO! " He cried falling to his knees. Shigure came to look at it as everyone crowded around to see it. Kisa started to cry, and Momiji did too. Shigure looked over at Hatori, who had fallen asleep. Shigure just stood there, feeling himself freeze over.

"Nooo!" Kyo cried, pounding his fists into the wall.

Outside, Simon listened, eyes alive with laughter and face smiling with happiness. He was soaking this in.

He had her in his grasp, and they knew it. He looked down at his hands, smiling.

They were covered with blood. This was more fun than watching them try to heal her. Let's see if they could catch him. After all, the "rambling madman" was very fond of games, yes; he was, very fond indeed. In some sort of perverted manner, he felt adrenaline rush through his veins. They wouldn't catch him. He heard Kisa scream again, wailing into Yuki's shirt. He had to repress a laugh.

Yuki was in shock. This couldn't be true. She wasn't. She couldn't be. He had been her first friend.

"You can erase my memory, but afterwards, will please still be my friend?" she had asked him, a long time ago. " I love strawberries!" He sunk down, eyes pouring out tears. " You shouldn't push yourself so hard." " Maybe you should stay home, Yuki, you have a small fever." She had been sick, and he had tended her. Her mom had died. She had helped him open up, she was part of him, and his heart felt like it had frozen over. Ice flooded his veins. He dropped the photo, and Hugged Kisa with numb arms, feeling the tears soaking through his shirt. He couldn't say anything comforting, as he felt like he was been filled with coldness and ice.

Haru did the same with Momiji. Haru was in shock too. She was a nice girl, and had been the reason for the changes in Yuki. She had done so much. It wasn't fair. He didn't know that much about her, but she was always kind, and she didn't shun anyone, not him for his curse, or anyone. She worked so hard at all she did, he didn't really know what to say.

Kyo was boiling. Why did it have to be her? Why? She didn't hurt anyone, she didn't do anything. She never put herself first; it was always about other people. He felt like someone had taken a knife, dipped it into liquid nitrogen, and then stabbed him, breaking through his sternum and piercing his heart. He would pay. Simon would pay. he would pay. He felt the cold freeze grip his heart like a hand coated in a steel glove that had been in the North Pole for 100 years had gripped his heart in his hands, and squeezed.

Simon walked through the forest alone, feeling the rain on his face. The adrenaline had faded, but he needed more. He needed more. He was insane, he knew, but he didn't care. He would have to find a way to twist the game. Maybe he should change the rules.

In the corner of him mind, he thought about killing all of them, but then, that wouldn't be that much fun. When he had them following his clues, he had power over them. They did what he wanted. Now, they wouldn't. They had no reason too. If he tried again, he would surely be caught. He passed the tiger carcass, laughing. He had only meant to use the little brat as a hostage, but she had transformed when he had grabbed her, something he didn't know about. Suddenly, a huge tiger had attacked him. The tiger carcass had lain there, untouched, it's body separated from its head.

But that thrilled him. He couldn't stop, he couldn't. He felt his pace speed up as he entered into his hidden-out-of-the-way cottage, where his eyes rested on the last thing he wanted to see. The bed where she was, the blood was still there, but the bed was bear. On the bed was a scrap of paper; the word written in a crimson substance that he knew was blood.

_Hello, Simon, the game is changed, and I make the rules._

Ooo. Are you on the edge of your seat? Are you crying yet? Do you cry in agony and suspense? Hmmm, it seems maybe my story isn't that popular….lol jk. Next chapter on it's way! Do Not Hate me please.


	7. Wallet! Wallet! whose got the Wallet?

Authors note: disclaimer, this is not mine. If you have been looking, you would have seen many things that aren't quite as they seem. and no, I am not pulling a o-m-c!-it-is-a-miracle-she-came-back-to-life-now-we-can-ride-off-into-the-sunset plot. and i dropped clues, maybe even from the earlier chapters. lols.

Authors note: disclaimer, this is not mine!!

Simon wandered aimlessly through the murky forest. The skies were gray. How could she be gone?

He stormed out; the note clutched in him fingers. This was his game!! No one was going to steal his fun. Why, he was going to use her to torture them, to make them sob and squirm.

But there were many things he didn't know. Many things.

**TnIhGfEhRd'gS HrEsAfD**

Kyo looked up from the desolate kitchen. Without her, it was dull. It wasn't there. She made it happy.

He felt something in him grow. The dark abyss, the whole she had left, it wasn't filling any faster. It was getting bigger.

He looked around; the others weren't much better. Tears painted everyone's cheeks, and eyes were red from crying. Kisa had lost her words again. She wouldn't speak. Yuki wouldn't focus on anything. Shigure didn't eat.

If she were here, she would have told them to pull themselves together, to be happy. But she wasn't

If she were here, they wouldn't be sad. He had to do something. She would have wanted them to move on.

He got up, startling everyone. They all looked at him, save Yuki, who was looking away.

"We need to go look for her." Kyo said. Everyone looked at him.

"She's gone." Yuki whispered, barely audible. "We won't find her. She is dead."

Kyo felt the rage pounding through him. He went over there. He lifted his hand, and slapped Yuki clean across the house. He looked at Kyo, anger burning in his eyes.

"SHE'S GONE, KYO!! EVEN YOU SHOULD SEE THIS BY NOW!" he hissed

"So we are just going to sit here, letting her body rot in some deserted mansion? She deserves to be mourned, and buried!" he retorted.

Yuki thought about it for a second.

Slowly, he got up. Hatori looked at the picture of her death. He took everything back into his eyes. From her bloody neck to her stiffly stretched out fingers.

"We have to." He said. " But I have to stay here with the younger ones." He said.

There was a knock on the door, and everything went silent.

_A/N yeah, I thought about cutting it off here, but then I decided to be nice. I hope you enjoy_

Akito walked in, his posture livid. his robes swirled around his form, making him seem greater in stature.

"Hatori, I thought I told you to be back by yesterday evening!" he hissed. Hatori didn't even wince, and Akito's eyes widened in shock. he looked at Yuki, who wasn't focused on anything, his eyes swamped with mental pain. this pain was so much greater than anything that Akito could cause, and he knew it. Akito looked at Kyo, and was amazed to find the same thing. even Kisa was silent, and Haru was holding the small momiji. Momiji was crying, and all had tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes.

"Yes, Akito, I am truly sorry, but.." his voice cut out.

"I see much has happened here, I guess I will stay here, and talk. I need to be updated with all the information." He looked around. " Where is that one Honda girl? Your new cook?" he asked. everyone winced, kisa broke into tears, silent ones, and Kyo looked like he was ready to pull his hair out. his eyes were filled and flooded with greif. Yuki jumped like he had been stabbed by a red hot iron, letting out a strangled gasp.

Yuki gave him a heartbroken look, and Kyo hit the wall, breaking the wall. He poofed, and an orange cat was on the ground.

It wasn't that far, and Kyo's transformation seemed to trigger a chain reaction. Within moments, the only ones who weren'y animals were Hatori, Shigure, and Akito.

"What happened?" Akito asked, his voice deadly quiet.

"She was killed, yesterday, by an insane madman." Kyo said, curling up into a ball.

Akito looked slightly confused.

"Really?" he asked. " I was under the impression that when your stupid cook called me for permission to leave the country, well, I had assumed that she had told you first. i must admit though, she was quiet a letdown. when i asked weather she had finally seen the light, and had left for protection, she said yes, she was, but not for herself. " he replied, noticing the way everyone's shoulder's perked up a little, then sunk. Then, as he noticed their shocked faces, he said, " i guess i assumed wrong. i told, you, Yuki, that she would leave you. and Kyo, so stupid for your attempts to change. you never will, and Miss Honda is no more than a stupid little-"

" you really don't want to complete that thought." Yuki hissed, and Akito jumped, hearing the warning in his voice. Kyo was trembling, and Akito, for the first time, felt fear. he looked down.

"go after her, boys. I will allow you three days. only three. the others, and Hatori, will stay here, watching the younger ones."

Haru simply nodded, then went to go pick up the paper. he came back, holding it in his hands, eyes wide. the others came to look at what he was reading. they looked to the anonomous letter section of the paper, and cursed.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life_

If only you had known how to save a life...

_'the "insane" madman'_

Kyo burst into a rage.

"Damn him straight to Hell! May he burn there for all time!" he yelled. "He had NO right to Kill her, and then taunt us!!" he wailed.

"Kyo, calm down!" Akito said, hitting him. He flew against the wall.

"Akito, that was uncalled for!" Shigure said.

"No, why don't you go check if it was her?" Akito asked. He still had fear.

"We have evidence that she is dead!" Kyo said

"But, look at it.If you would only think, you would see somthing. There are way to many people at an airport to kill, so if this 'Simon' is making a trap, he would be very foolish in deed." He said calmly. " He can't kill all witnesses, and unless you lure him out, he doesn't really have a chance of killing anyone without being seen." Akito chastised. " I will give you three days to locate this useless girl. Do not make me wish I had never given you this chance. "

"He does have a point," Hatori said, and Kisa looked up, her eyes filled with a faint glimmer of hope.

**_A_h_N_l_O_h_T_g_H_d_E_b_R C_j_L_h_U_f_E_**

Kyo searched frantically among the many people. Lines were formed, and the speakers constantly blared with news on incoming and leaving flights. He didn't allow his hope to get up. She was dead; he saw the picture. The image of her wide eyes, her stiff, straight fingers, the blood pooled around her neck. He trembled, feeling the whole in his heart rip open.

He wandered among the crowds. He was alone. The hustle and bustle around him commenced without let up. How could they not know something is wrong? But she is just another penniless girl with teary eyes and a sad story to them.

He felt his stomach growl, and decided to stop at a small café to eat. He spotted one, and headed that direction, feet dragging along the floor. He sat down for a snack, eyes peeled, at a nearby café.

"Who are you looking for?" the man behind the counter asked, giving him the food he ordered. He curled his fingers into his hair nervously.

"A girl, brown hair, blue eyes, shorter than me, might be very sad." He murmured. he was ready to give up. He would be happy if they found her body. All this hope was tearing him open.

"Does she have a huge gash on her cheek?" he asked. Kyo nodded, his eyes widening.

"Yeah. Have you seen her?" Kyo questioned, desperately. The man looked taken back. He looked familiar. Kyo's heart skipped ahead, then he breathed in evenly. He would not get his hopes up. Images of her bloody form stuck out in his mind.

"Hey, you're the paper boy!" Kyo said.

"Uhm, yeah, I was. Then I got fired." He murmured.

"Where did she go?" Kyo demanded, scaring the boy.

"She said, well, sobbed something about missing a flight, and about waiting for the next one next to the help station." He said, pointing. Kyo was gone in a flash, not even bothering to pay. The boy noticed a customer on the other side of the counter, and he went over, not noticing the small wallet that Kyo had forgotten behind.

A figure came up, brushing the counter. The wallet was gone.

**A/N. hey, whats up all my lovely reviewers? Things are staring to heat up, let me tell you that! And things will heat up even more. Lol I love writing.**


	8. Pink LipGloss

DISCLAIMER

DISCLAIMER!! I own nothing, if I did, do you think I would be here? Thanks you soooooo very much to my lovely reviewers. Yeah. Now, I just wanted to let you know that some things don't really add up, and there are clues I have been dropping, and if you look hard enough, you WILL find them.

Also, _Kyki-The Late Night Writer_, you have Struck GOLD!!

**I am in school, so I do take a while to update. Yeah. Random. My reviewers are soooooo nice, and I do believe I promised cookies, but maybe that was for another story. Moving on, it is not cool to play HEAD games.**

**Anywho ,that is my favorite saying, I digress, without further ado, here comes chapter 8!**

The wallet was held hazardless in between my two pale hands. Why was I doing this? Hadn't they had enough pain? But could I stop myself?

No, I couldn't. I was too far in. maybe, when I started this whole thing, maybe, if I hadn't interfered, I would not be in this position. Really, whom was I kidding? A small corner of my mind was sorry, in fact, a large part. But I couldn't turn back. I had hurt them too much. They would never forgive me.

I was crazy. I was a mess. My hair, it was unkempt. My eyes were cold, devoid of all my previous feelings of compassion. I was crazy. I would kill them. They would die at my hands. But I couldn't stop myself.

My eyes narrow, looking around at the crowd. The wallet clenched under my fingers. I had chosen this path. I had chosen to do this. I am a murderer. These hands, they had taken so much, and had given only pain out. If I continued this way, I would have innocent blood on my hands.

But I couldn't stop. Innocent blood would be spared if I thought about what I was doing.

But I didn't. I had to. I needed this. The reason for this pain, that reason, that was why I lived.

I got to my feet, watching as familiar orange hair pushed people aside, heading for the terminal. the help station.

What was he doing here? I had an idea, and my lips curled into a smile that didn't mean happiness.

YupIamhavingfunwritingthisstoryareyouhavingfunreadingit?

Kyo reached into his back pocket, reaching for his wallet. It was gone. The cop looked at him. Did he have a good reason for running around the airport like he was being chased by the devil? More so than the stupid security could ever imagine.

He sighed, trying to explain. The guy wanted to see his I.D.

He looked around, not seeing the blonde kid that had shouted 'anthrax attack' when he ran by.

He looked around on the ground. It wasn't there. The loudspeaker was blaring out found objects, a laptop, a pair of keys… but no wallet. He sighed, feeling as if the day couldn't have gotten any worse.

Yuki sauntered up, looking out of focus.

"Kyo, is there a problem?" he asked. The guard looked around nervously. He looked at Kyo.

"Listen, nothing's wrong, but I got paid to delay you." He said. He pulled out a bill to prove it.

Kyo and Yuki paled. There was a tiny pink mark on it. It was the same mark that Tohru had accidentally smeared on it when Kyo startled her, a few weeks back. She had been putting on lip-gloss. Kyo smiled, thinking about how she always licked it off. He shook his head, feeling thorns in his heart.

Yuki boiled with anger, and sadness, and stormily sulked off, heading towards the parking lot to relieve his anger. The security guard pocketed the bill, and Kyo looked at him. Kyo took a deep breath. How dare Simon? Using her own money?

"Who paid you?"

"I don't know. I was shown a picture of you when I got onto my shift. Someone stole my laptop, and then printed something off of it. I finally found it in the room where I start my shift. It was waiting there, with a hand written note and apology."

"A picture of me?"

"Actually, an I.D." he said. " But the note is gone. My fellow guards must have thrown it away. I couldn't find it when I returned to see the picture again. It disappeared too, so if you are looking for it, I would check the lost and found." Kyo nodded, then the security guard left. Kyo sat there for a long time, thinking.

"Excuse me, sir?" a little boy tugged on Kyo's shirt.

"Yes?" he nearly growled. The boy looked scared

"Sir, mommy told my to give this to you." He said, pushing the wallet towards Kyo. He then turned and ran to a blonde woman, who came over.

"It is yours." She said, brushing her blonde hair out of her blue eyes. " I found it next to a fountain."

"How did you know?" he asked, pocketing it without opening it, knowing he didn't have anything in there worth stealing. Not that he actually cared anywways. HER picture was on his nightstand.

"Your I.D is in there." She trailed off, and then excused herself, explaining about a missed flight.

Kyo sank onto a bench, feeling his whole life devoid of feeling, happiness. What was he thinking? The I.D, the wallet and the timing; it worked out too perfectly.

He opened his wallet, seeing if he had any cash. A piece of paper fell out; the back clearly a flyer that they used at the airport. Part of the picture was a sunset, with rosy skies overlooking what looked to be part of some sort of beach.

_There is a flight._

_Taking off before night._

_Where you should be._

_The truth you may see._

_But you must be alone._

_Or she's not coming home._

_I would suggest you don't come._

_It will worsen your slum._

_She said a few things._

_Before she "left"._

_She pleaded for your safety._

_Something I assure I forget._

_So if you want any chance._

_To bring back her body._

_The terminal flight._

_Heading towards Aussie._

Kyo growled, then felt his heart freezing with anger. He would be there, alone, and he would murder Simon. He would Murder him.

Now, He only had to wait for night.


	9. Lost, found, and lost, then found

Disclaimer

**Disclaimer. I own nothing.**

_A/n yes, I am giving up sleeping time for you guys. Thank you, my lovely reviewers!! Do not worry. Patience, young grasshopper, everything will be explained in due time. Also, I DID NOT make any mistakes with descriptions. If I say Simon has gray eyes, as he does, then the next chapter, he will still have gray eyes! Please take that into account. _

**_Thank you to my Wonderful reviewers. read the author's note at the bottom please!_**

_I think I am dropping anvil-sized hints, but you have to read in between the lines. Yes!_

Yuki looked up, eyes cold and unseeing. He would find Simon; he would defiantly find Simon. He sat down at a café. The boy behind it looked recognizable. He had curly red hair. The boy looked around, eyes flicking, searching. Yuki discreetly looked away, watching as the boy pulled something out of his pocket. Upon further inspection, Yuki saw it was a small revolver, shiney and new. Yuki gulped, fearing the worst. If he had a gun, what was going on? Was he in league with Simon? Why would he need a gun to shoot a dead body? Maybe he is a terrorist?

_Yeah, because that makes it so much better. _

He suddenly thought of something. If he were with Simon, although he didn't know if he was, Yuki would be a threat.

The boy looked around before loading ammo into it. He put it away, and then took out a walkie-talkie.

"Yes, I am almost ready. tell me when Simon tells you. She won't get away. Yeah, Kind of crazy, I thought he killed her."

"he did, I saw the blood myself!"

The time had come. He walked down the nearly empty terminal. He had his back facing the wall. Simon _wasn't_ going to win. The tile felt cold under his feet, and he could feel it through his shoes. He felt heavier. He felt, more real. Simon was going to die. He would pay. He would pay for her life. Her blood was on his hands, and Kyo would be the one to extract that payment, and even if he couldn't make Simon feel bad for killing her, he would make him feel bad that he messed with her.

He heard a quiet step and turned, slamming his fist into something warm. He heard a gasp. He listened as he heard whatever it was hit the tile. He felt something on his hand.

He looked down, and gasped.

Tohru moaned from the floor. His mind went into overdrive. She wasn't dead. She was lying on the tile, bleeding. Bleeding, but breathing. The wound on her cheeks had re-opened, and a trail of crimson blood led from her cheek to the tile. Her skin was flushed, not pale. He remembered her stiff fingers, and something Hatori had once told him.

"_When a body dies, the muscles cannot remain taut, as all conscience thought to keep them straight has faded. Therefore, they will curl slightly. That is how you know someone is dead, their fingers will curl."_ Kyo's mind didn't put two and two together yet.

"But the blood? Too much for you to lose and be living. But Simon, the note, I saw the blood. Pictures don't lie. The picture?" he said, shocked.

She opened her blue eyes. Her cut had reopened on her cheek. Her chest rose and fell delicately. Her brown hair was splayed around her face. He cherished this moment. She looked like an angel. Oh what he would have given to be able to wrap his arms around her, to comfort her, to protect her. Stupid curse.

He lifted her to her feet, and wrapped his arms around her, almost. She held him away. Her wounds were all scabbed over, and her voice was a little rough. He was about to call out in joy, to remove the chasm behind Yuki's eyes, but her small hand covered his mouth.

Tears trailed down her face.

" Kyo, I wasn't sure I should have come. It hurts to leave, but I have to!" she cried. He gripped her wrist. "I set it up. I knew that was the only way you wouldn't tell everyone and gang up on me. I have to do what I have to do!" he looked at her, not even thinking about letting go of her wrist. She was making a little sense. " I am too much. Your hands, they were burned because of me. I put Kisa in danger, Hatori got hurt, Akito is really mad at everyone, I'm sure, and I can't put you guys through this anymore. I've got to protect you." She whispered, her voice cracking. Kyo's joyful glee faded. He was glad she was alive, unbelievably so, but the look on her face, the heartbroken, blunt blame and guilt possessed her features. " I wasn't dead. Simon, he took the blood from the white tiger, and he told me to stay still. I wanted to give you guys hope, so I made sure my fingers were straight. I don't know how I wasn't caught, he is a doctor, but he still sent the picture to you. When he came back, I had gotten away. He had tied me to the bed. I wiggled free, But now, he is after me, just let the game be won, please, just pretend this meeting never happened, please." She pleaded.

"No, don't worry about it. You can't leave! Yuki won't get better. He is half dead. Is that what you want to do? Kill him?" Kyo wasn't aware of how sharp his words were. The thought of losing her was worse than a one-way ticket straight to Hell.

The lights glared off of the tile. Tohru's eyes flashed to behind him, out a window. It was snowing. All flights were cancelled. All was quiet for a while, and the look in her eyes was undecided. She looked at him, whispering, " I'm sorry, but I set you up. You thought I was Simon." She croaked. " I had to get you guys away from here. I'm warning you, please, stop looking for me. Don't tell them I'm alive."

"You, you stole my wallet?" he asked shocked.

"No." she said, honesty ringing in her eyes. Her expression was puzzled. " I didn't steal your wallet." Then they went wide. "He is here!" she hissed. " I have to go, I can't put you in danger anymore!" she told him, and she tried to walk away. He wasn't having any of it though.

"Kyo, please, you have to let me go!" she whispered. " I can do this."

"No. You have been kidnapped, poisoned, beaten, starved, tied to a saw, burned with acid, scared to death, tied to a log, held against your will, and we get a picture showing your dead! Do you think you can just walk away? Do you think that the house would go back to normal?" he asked, well, demanded of her. " Do you even THINK I am going to let you go in a snowed-in airport where the possibility of a psychotic madman might get you?" he dried her tears with one hand, watching her wound, while still holding onto her wrist. Quieter, he added, " and no matter if you could do it, do you think I am strong enough, strong enough not to break down with you gone?"

"I'm a murderer! A tiger was killed so Simon could fake my death!" She sobbed, still holding him away, tugging at her wrist still. He tightened his grip, and started walking away. She stumbled a few steps, but then she dug her heels into the tile. He was going to go find Yuki and Haru. She dragged her feet, and struggled. " Kisa was nearly kidnapped. He is a murderer; he won't stop. Let the game be won. Let him just go away. I need to protect you."

" Tohru, don't be so darn sensitive! Why don't you blame yourself for world hunger while your at it!" he exclaimed. She looked into his orange eyes.

Tears renewed themselves against her cheeks, and he saw her wince as they ran into her wound. He looked at their hands. His had a little of her blood on them. He felt instantaneously bad for yelling at her. Knowing her, she WOULD blame herself for world hunger.

"Kyo, I'm asking you to let go, forget about me, it would be better if I had never come into your house!" she cried.

"Don't you ever say that again." He growled, and looked her plain in the eye. He felt like she had stabbed him. She seemed undecided about something.

"it hurts me, Kyo, to leave, but you need to be safe. Safe means that I have to leave. I am going to the states, hopefully, after the storm blows over. Don't chase me. Pretend I DID die, please, for me?" she asked, her tears painting her cheeks. " I am doing this for you. I can't let you get hurt on my account!" she looked him straight in the eye. " Kyo, I think, I think, I think you should let go.

"You need to have a new think then." He said.

"Kyo, I have to tell you something." She said softly, looking around. He noticed her eyes, and then leaned in.

She put her mouth next to his ear. "I'm sorry, Kyo, please forgive me."

"For what-!" he was cut off when she slammed her knee into his groin.

He dropped like a rock, losing his grip on her wrist. She sobbed again,

" I'm Sorry Kyo!" she cried, and then ran the opposite direction, her footsteps fading down the long winding hall, quickly blending into the crowds of people mulling about.

LalalalallalallallallallallallallallallallallallallalllalalEdwardallalallalallalallalala

Haru walked around, looking for Kyo. Yuki was also looking. He had a feeling that this storm was going to get worse. Hey, people said that cows could tell the weather. The polished floors and the rebounding light made imprints on his eyes that would never leave him. If they… no, when they found her, he would make it his job to keep an eye on her. The floors was crowded with baggage of those snowed in. little kids ran everywhere, making it dangerous for him to be here. As he walked, the crowds shifted and swirled around him.

He looked among those laying down, grumbling about flights or the weather. Most seats were taken. He sighed, feeling the void that the others felt. Yuki followed him like a lost dog. Among everyone, Yuki was reacting the worst. He said he haw a youth with a gun, but frankly, Haru could care less. Yuki had gone back into depression.

Of course, he was looking for his best friend, a psychotic madman, his friend's body, or a combination of the previously listed. He took it to heart. Haru was amazed at what Tohru had accomplished in such a short time. Yuki would usually be sad, but he looked more hurt, more.. Lost.. Over Tohru's death than the death of his grandmother.

Haru stuck a hand in his hair, making it stick up in different angles. The black hairline stood stark against the white, and he was getting looks. He sighed again. He was getting frustrated. She had been a nice girl. Why her? He felt his heart freeze a little, bleeding bloody ice.

He had been paying attention, barely, and he heard that there was going to be a sudden snowstorm, snowing them into the airport. Ok, so maybe it wasn't his cow senses.

Haru heard cries of outrage, and some curses, and stuck out his foot for what he knew was coming. He heard someone rushing forwards, and knowing him, it was probably Kyo. It was such a practiced gesture; he had done it many times, the best when Tohru was watching. Yuki cracked a small smile. Maybe it was a wince, but at least he wasn't as stone faced as before.

Something slammed into him, something orange. It tripped, and flew into the floor.

Haru grabbed a fistful of Kyo's shirt.

"She's alive, we got to find her!" Kyo hissed. Yuki looked like he might faint. He went deathly pale. Then he shook his head, and straightened up, looking desperate. The old gleam was back.

"You aren't kidding?" he asked.

"This is her blood!" Kyo said.

"Ok, that's it, we split up." Haru said. **A/N-Brilliant plan, I'm sure.**

And so they did. Haru was walking along. Well, actually, he was running. His feet flew across the tile like a stampede of angry bulls. He stopped, his breath coming in huge gasps, eyes dashing and darting. He ducked and dodged, bobbed and wove through the crowds, of what little there was. He flew past the baggage lane, across the lines for refunds. People dove to avoid him. He stopped, listening. He passed by a couple of café's and he caught the eyes of a blonde teen. A blonde teen with blue eyes. Something about him just screamed 'pervert'!

"Hey, is that your natural hair color?" the boy asked. His eye twitched, looking Haru up and down, from head to toe. Haru suddenly felt like he wasn't wearing anything. He growled, starting the boy out of his concentration.

Haru sighed. " yes, it is." He wanted to walk away. Or pound the kid into pulp. Either way, he needed to stop checking Haru out. Haru was glad that Tohru wasn't with him. This blonde kid could only be trusted as far as one could throw him.

"No it isn't!" the youth said.

Haru took the boy by his collar, and slammed him into a nearby wall.

" I am dang tired of everyone saying that!" he hissed. The boy looked scared. " Keep your eyes, ears, mouth, lips, nose, feet and any other of your disgusting body parts away from Me." the boy looked at him. "Actually, you know what? Is there a cemetery where you grew up?" Haru hissed. The boy slowly nodded. " I need the address then, I have to know where to send your body, after all." The boy laughed.

"I am stressed right now, and you think it is cool to piss me off?" Haru growled. The boy didn't move. Of course, he was being pinned up against the wall by a pissed off Haru.

"Well, want to know what I think is funny?" Haru asked, levering his fist. He dragged his elbow back, aiming it at the boy's nose.

That was when he heard the scream.

**Notice: this story is discontinued!**

**Notice: ignore the above notice.**

**A/N lol! Please don't kill me! Next chapter up soon! I am going to add a character in. she is an American. I need names. I want something that isn't really common. Allyson and lets say Stephanie are really common names, so if you have a couple you like, please review and tell me! Thanks**


	10. Simon Didn't say so!

Disclaimer, I own nothing

Disclaimer, I own nothing. I want to thank my lovely reviewers.

I hope you all are happy; I have been putting off math homework for you, not like I care, so be nice to me! Please read all important A/N. thanks again

Special note: I think the end is near. I think. I'm not sure though. I have ideas for a sequel though.

--

When Yuki got to the scene, he froze. There she was, breathing, a gray haired man holding a knife to her throat. She was crying again. He held her with his hand and the knife. It glinted silver against the bruised purple skin of her delicate throat.. Her skin was shadowed, looking like someone had taken eyeliner and drawn huge dots on her skin before smudging them.

Kyo froze too. They couldn't move, for fear of her being beheaded.

Haru flew around the corner, and he also froze. His white and black hair contrasted with the white of the floor, making him stand out. On the floor was a walkie-talkie.

"Simon?" Kyo growled. The man laughed. The knife slipped, causing a small nick on the tender skin. She whimpered.

"Yes, that's me, Simon! Simon says!" he laughed insanely. It was an unfortunate thing that the wind snatched all sound, keeping them a secret from the whole of the airport. " Miss Honda, is very smart, she got away, but let me tell you something, I won't make the same mistake twice."

"That's three times." Haru said, almost as if he was watching someone take out the trash.

" Fine, whatever, but she isn't getting away again." He growled, digging it in to the to soft flesh of her throat more. He laughed, then the knife slipped lower, and a nick appeared on her collarbone. A couple of drops of blood slipped out, making her cry out once more. She grit her teeth together, and when he nicked her other collarbone, she didn't cry out.

Kyo was trembling with anger. Pure hatred. Yuki wasn't that far off.

They heard footsteps, and the red haired delivery boy was there. **-A.N. hey, LinaStar, it seems you were right-** Kyo grunted with anger. He pulled out a revolver, aiming it at Yuki. The silver revolver glinted dully in the light.

"Why are you doing this?" Yuki asked, trying to remain calm and not rip the boy to pieces. More footsteps were heard, and the blonde boy that Haru slammed into the wall came running as well, also with a revolver, which he pointed at Kyo. He looked at Haru again, smirking. Haru bristled, but clamed his face.

"Why? Why? I was a paper boy, I needed money." The red head snapped. He shook with anger, or maybe fear. The whir of snow filled the air as the wind picked up. No one really noticed the chill. The airport's heating system had crashed, and the whole place was being heated by the little back up emergency system, which didn't heat the back halls, only the main, crowded rooms and cafes.

"So, Simon, it seems that you have gotten around lately." Haru said, the only one who was remotely calm. His face was calm, because Haru knew that if he lost his temper, he would get miss Honda killed.

Simon didn't respond, only dug the knife into Tohru's throat gently. She gritted her teeth.

"What do you want?" Kyo growled, watching the revolver with fiery, hate filled eyes. The two boys were careful not to get to close, since both captives knew karate. Yuki was fast enough to disarm one boy, but Simon had Tohru, and there were two guns. The only reason that stopped any of them from attacking was the threat of Tohru being killed.

"To leave, without you following." Simon said, and Tohru cringed. She had been gasping for air. Her wound was bleeding again. It trickled along the line of her chine, down her throat, across her shoulder then it joined with the flow from her collarbone.

"That's cool, let Tohru go, and then we shall be on our way." Haru said, watching both boys and Simon. He didn't have a guard, but Simon had a knife to Tohru's throat, so he stayed still.

The blonde boy held the Revolver, but his eyes kept flicking to Tohru's form, to her chest and what little he could see of her hips. If one could be arrested for violating someone without touching or talking to said person, this boy would have been in prison since he was two,

"No, she's mine!" the blonde one hissed. Haru felt Goosebumps rise on his arms.

Kyo and Yuki growled.

"Over my dead body!" Kyo snarled, and the blonde boy cocked the gun with a click. The sound echoed off of the tile. It sounded ominous in the chilling air.

"Of course, Kyo, that can be arranged." Simon said. Tohru grimaced. She struggled weakly, in a vain attempt to protect Kyo, but it didn't work.

Simon slowly walked over to the blonde boy, his steps echoing on the freezing tile, taking the revolver, and handing him Tohru.

"But I prefer mental torture best." He smirked. Kyo and Yuki trembled in anger. The boy looked bad, pervert.

Simon turned to Tohru, an evil grimace plastered on his features.

"Just think Tohru, look at Kyo's hands, and look at what you caused. Look at Yuki; he's clearly unhealthy. He hasn't been eating, all because of you. You are to blame." Simon taunted. "Kisa was terrorized, Akito was angry with everyone. You got them into so much trouble." His voice was smooth, like velvet. Velvet covered with ground up poison Ivy. " they have to take care of you, they always have to save you. You can't even take care of yourself. If your not going to pull your weight in this world, what makes you think you deserve to live?"

Kyo and Yuki growled, but Tohru's eyes had gone wide.

"No, no I'm not!" she gasped, as if trying to push his words away. They echoed off the tile, and into her mind. Her eyes went wide, and the tears kept falling.

"Yes, yes, you are. What kind of human are you? Where is your compassion? They suffered, all because of you. They watched you get sick; they lost sleep because of you. Hatori got hurt, all because of you." He baited. He grinned at the boy holding her.

"Compassion! Compassion? _You_ are reprimanding _her_ of compassion?" Haru hissed. The gun flickered over to Tohru. He quieted.

The blonde one grinned, and then kissed her on her wounded cheek. She yelped, blue eyes flashing open, filled with sorrow, mental pain, and tears. Yuki and Kyo couldn't speak. Anger was welling up inside them. Kyo felt like he was about to explode.

"Hay, sweetie." The blonde one purred. She let the tears fall, her sobs coming as hard gasps. Her shoulders shook silently. She choked on her sobs.

She took a haltering breath, then her head snapped up, eyes hard and red. She turned her head away, looking at Haru. She seemed to be silently asking him for something. She gulped, and then took a stealing breath, sighing and thinking. Her voice was raspy, and the whole world waited with bated breath as they listened to her next words.

"Simon, please, I'll come willingly, but I need two things." She said. Her voice was weak, and sobs were being repressed. Simon looked at her in amusement. Kyo sagged, unbelieving that she would give up. Yuki looked about ready to crawl into a hole and die, eyes wide with fear and anger.

"Which are." He asked. The blonde boy was getting excited.

"Let my friends go, and let me give them a goodbye hug." She whispered.

"How bout this, I let you give one of them a hug, and then you never fight me, or Thomas here." He said, pointing to the blonde boy. The red haired boy scowled. " And don't try any funny business, you aren't the first I have played this game with, and I don't plan it to be the last, only until young Thomas here Tires of you, or until you can no longer provide him what he wants." A shiver went through her.

"No, Miss Honda, don't!" Yuki cried, and Kyo glared at Simon, feeling the red haired one press the gun closer to the base of his throat. Kyo felt so helpless, and Simon grinned bigger, seeing the anger, hate, seeing those emotions painted on his face, in his eyes, and knowing that Kyo was about at helpful as a bucket with a hole in it, or a broken gun.

Then they both turned to look at Haru. Haru nodded gently, pretending to scratch his nose, knowing what she wanted to try and do.

Simon watched them, still smiling insanely. He didn't seem to detect it,

He went over to Tohru, and grabbed her hand. He dug his finger into the muscle between her thumb and index finger. She screamed as the pain intensified.

"All you wanted Tohru, was for them to be free, and for a hug? Why, you could have asked for less pain, and because Thomas has been good, I would have refrained." He looked at Thomas, who had a sick look on his face, one that made Kyo Growl and thrash against the red haired boy. Haru was spot on when he labeled the boy as a 'pervert'. The boy's eyes and face screamed 'sexual assault!'

"Now, now, Kyo, for that, I will have to punish you." Simon chastised. He nodded to Thomas, who grabbed Tohru's face roughly and dragged her forwards, kissing her, hands traveling from her back, downwards, petting her rear. She cried, and Kyo screamed, throwing him at them. They all watched in horror, as the boy liked her healed cheek. Haru paled, and Yuki, who wasn't one for violence, growled.

" You little twerp, let her go!" Kyo growled, ready to castrate the boy. He fought, and kicked the revolver out of his face, ready to charge. Yuki was struggling too. For all his mad karate skills, he was taking his time, causing as much pain his captor as he could.

Simon grabbed Tohru's arm roughly, and pinned her against the wall, his elbow crushing her throat. Kyo froze, and Simon let her fall to the cold, hard, unforgiving tile. He turned to her. Yuki sagged in concern.

"Tohru, darling, you may get your one hug, but remember, after that, they leave, and you belong to Thomas, soul, body and mind. Everyday, you will kiss him, and he can do whatever he wants to you." He turned his gray eyes to Yuki.

"And just think, every morning, you will wonder if she is happy, knowing she is not. You will always remember my games and me. I am Simon, and I make the rules." He said. Tohru nodded, and Yuki bit his lip.

"Can I get my hug now?" she asked him, gasping. He nodded, and pointed the revolver at her.

" Simon Says One hug, remember?" he asked, she nodded, and then turned to Haru. " and no funny buisness." he said

she nodded, wlking closer. as she leaned in, she opened her lips slightly.

" Simon didn't say so." She whispered, and then wrapped her arms around him….

A/N: ooo I just love the way this story is going. Hey, if you love it too… say so. Also, I am going to be introducing a new character into the story soon, so I need names.

**The girl is an American teen, touring Asia when the storm struck, and she was at the airport. I would like a name, but not as common as let's say, Jessica, or Ashley. Can you give me a hand here? Still looking for names need a boys name too.**

**Thanks for the lovely reviews.**

**Special thanks goes to these people for giving me names and such:**

**Kaida Thorn**

**CheeseLovngFruitsBasketFan**

**Kyonkichi-san**

**SpiffyhilARY212**

**Special thanks for being long time reviewers:**

**CheeseLovngFruitsBasketFan**

**anameprincess32**

**Jade Taylor**

**Kyonkichi-san**

**Kyki- The Late Night Writer**

**Love Inc.**

**Just in case anyone is wondering, I just recently got home from driving with my sister. My sister was driving. …… I think my blonde hair just went gray. X.x**

**o**

**THE NEWEST CHARACTER IS COMING IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS. In her history, I will try to include as many names as possible. Thank you soooooo much!!**


	11. She shoots me, She shoots me not

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I currently have the hiccups while I write this, so if there is funky spelling, blame the hiccup monster. Yeah.

_Simon: hahahahhahahha! I win_

Kyki- The Late Night Writer: you wish! _**–Pulls chainsaw out—**_

_Simon: ha! You can't kill me; the author still needs me!_

Kyki- The Late Night Writer:** -looks at author-** Do you really?

Angietheunicorn: yes, I'm afraid I do.

Kyki- The Late Night Writer: aww man, really?

_Simon: - smirks-_

Angietheunicorn: but you, know, they always have stunt doubles… Besides, it's not that hard to find random serial killers that have an obsession with other people's pain named Simon…

Kyki- The Late Night Writer: **-turns to Simon with evil grin-** you are SOOO

Dead!

_Simon: meep! –Runs away, Kyki following him-_

_--_

Simon seemed to realize something wasn't right, but as the cloud dispersed along the cold tile, he realized he was too late.

Kyo and Yuki were trying to get the guns. Haru charged after Simon, leaping, slamming his hooves into his back. He went down, and Haru sat on him, careful not to crush Him. In less time than it takes to say –the Swiss make wonderful cheese-, he had his back against the cold stone floor that had abuse Tohru only seconds before.

Kyo flipped, swinging his foot into Thomas's face, yelling his rage

" If you EVER even look at her again, I will personally castrate you!" he yelled, kicking and lashing out, not holding back with his punches and kicks. Yuki was already putting the red head into a headlock.

Yuki's foot lashed out, kicking the gun out of the red head's reach. The gun slid over the tile, and no one saw just how close it got to Simon's hand. Simon noticed it, and then looked at Tohru. His thin lips pressed together in a victorious smile.

Her eyes widened as she saw just how close the gun was.

Simon picked it up, aiming it at Kyo. Haru noticed a second too late. Simon smirked, and then cocked the gun. Tohru leaped to her feet, filled with adrenaline. Her bruises didn't matter anymore. Her wounds didn't matter anymore. The fact she was bleeding from her throat and collarbones didn't seem to matter. She only had one thing on her mind.

"Kyo, watch out!" she screamed, throwing herself at him. He toppled on top of Thomas just as the shot was fired. It echoed through the air, rebounding off the walls, deafening to those who heard it. Thomas winced as Kyo kneed him 'accidentally' in the groin, and then Kyo turned to her. Her feet were wobbling on the tile.

Silence rang in the room, and the lights flickered once. All eyes were on her, the way she was teetering on her feet. Her eyes were wide with shock. Her hand reached up, clutching the front of her shirt.

Tohru stood, shaking, her hand clutching her chest. Her eyes widened as she pulled her hand away. It was stained crimson. She looked at it, then looked over at Simon, who was looking smug as he could, given the fact that Haru was trying to restrain himself from going into black Haru.

"Miss Honda!" Yuki cried as she fell to the floor.

In movies, there is always the scene where something drastic happens and everyone runs, walks, sings, dances, looks over, or reacts in slow motion. Those aren't just movie tricks.

Kyo was frozen as he watched her fall. They heard the thud of her body as it hit tile. Footsteps could be heard. They could hear the drip drip of her blood, flowing out of her chest, staining the floor. A blossom of crimson soon soaked her sleeves. No. one moved. Everyone waited with bated breath, wondering, watching, wishing, praying hoping, and searching for a sign she was alive, that soon she would stand up and say 'haha, Simon, you suck! You missed, you silly moron!' but that never came.

"What happened-!" someone else asked. All eyes looked at her. She had blonde hair and skin that was extremely pale. She was breathing hard, like she had been running. She had blue eyes. She looked at the pool of blood spreading from underneath Tohru. Her eyes widened.

Within a moment, she was pushing the boys away, pulling Tohru into her lap, ripping her shirt in half. Kyo and Yuki averted their eyes, Thomas looked greedily at her bra.

Kyo winced.

"What do you care about more, seeing her bra, or seeing her gravestone?" the blonde snapped.

Kyo remained Silent, and then he turned to Simon.

"You are going to pay for it!" he cried, kicking Simon in the face. A dull crunch alerted the world that his nose just broke. Yuki came over and restrained him.

"He needs to be tried by the law, Kyo!" Yuki said. Kyo still struggled.

"If she dies, Simon, then I am going to kill you!" he yelled. He was flailing, and Simon was grinning. Haru was trembling with anger. If he slipped once, his foot could crush him, so easily.

"She won't die." The blonde woman said. " It's a clean wound, it just missed the superior Vena Cava, thank the lord, if it hadn't, she would be dead." She said.

Kyo froze, looking over at her. Tohru's cheeks were pale, and clear of blood. Something wasn't right.

"How come her cheek isn't wounded?" he asked, and Yuki looked at it too.

It was whole and healed.

They looked at the blonde, who was trying to put her down. Her hands were shaking, crimson from Tohru's blood.

"Don't look at me," she said, but they could detect something behind her words. They took a step towards her, dragging the captive boys along.

She backed up against the frigid window. Kyo looked over a Tohru.

"Kyo…. Yuki, please, don't fight anymore… I don't want you to fight. Please, Don't worry about it," Tohru whispered. Her voice was strained, and her gasps were dry and rattling. They all watched her, even Thomas and the redhead.

Suddenly, the girl danced her way over to where she lay. She picked her up again, then watched with sad eyes as the nightmare twisted. Tohru started panting, and crying out.

"NO! Simon, please, doesn't hurt me! Please!" she pleaded. Her eyes were closed.

Kyo and Yuki watched with sad eyes. They couldn't do anything again. Helpless. Part of the crowd that watches the game, never being able to be the players. As useful as a bucket with holes, or a sword that has a broken blade.

Haru banged Simon's head against the tile, knocking him out, and then a huge cloud appeared, and the girl looked over at him. Where there was a cow, there was now a naked boy. She looked away.

Yuki watched her, panicking. "How can you be so calm?" he asked. He was staring intently at Tohru's barely rising chest. Her bra was hardly visible. Blood was pouring out of a wound in her chest, and dried blood mixed with fresh to form a coppery slush. The tang of iron filled the air, and Tohru's breathing became shallower.

The girl looked from Tohru's face to Yuki's, as if trying to decide something.

"It's a secret." She said.

"Well, you'd better dang tell us or I will punch it out of you!" Kyo growled

She smirked weakly. "As if you could."

Yuki smiled sweetly at her, " if he won't I might."

She snorted.

"Hey, bring it on, rat boy!" she said, then slapped her hands to her mouth.

"What did you say?" Yuki asked, shocked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all!" she said. Kyo came and lifted her by her shirt collar. She was dangling off the floor Yuki smacked Thomas's head into the cool tile, and then did that to the red head, knocking them both out. They slumped to the ground, and Yuki proceeded to watch Tohru, eyes hoping beyond hope she would be all right. His eyes scanned her pale skin. The bruises she had were gone. That can't be right.

Before Kyo could even breathe, she twisted around, throwing her body weight to her left, dragging him down, and then she straddled his stomach, a fist raised to his face.

She scrambled off of him, going red. "Sorry, it's just kind of instinct." She said, going over to Tohru.

He was shocked at her. He looked at his arms, which were still human arms.

"Your, one of the Zodiac?" Yuki asked.

She looked at him like he was crazy.

"One of the what?" she asked.

"Never mind." Yuki quickly amended.

Tohru moaned, then she clutched her chest again. All eyes flew wide as they noticed fresh blood.

"CRAP!" the girl yelled. She leapt over, and then moved the flaps of the shirt away from the wound. She mumbled to herself as her fingers gently prodded and poked, testing and measuring the wound. Tohru whimpered.

" Rose Connie Savanna Carter, what would your mother say, not even checking the wound completely, and you think you can heal." She looked at her fingers, and then turned to Yuki. Her eyes had hardened when she said mother, and she shot a hate-filled glance at the knocked out Simon.

"You guys might want to look away." She said. They both shook their heads.

"Suit yourselves." She said, and then she dug her fingers into the wound. Tohru groaned, and writhed.

"I know, I know, but I have to get the bullet. How could I have been so stupid, what would Lilith say if she saw me now!" she mumbled. After a minute, she pulled her bloody fingers out with the bullet.

She turned and looked at Thomas. He was lying on the floor. She looked towards Yuki and Kyo.

"Can I trust you guys?" she asked. Kyo huffed, and Yuki didn't say anything

"Or can I at least know your address so I know where to send the bodies?" she growled.

" You can trust us." Yuki said.

"Ok, Bring Thomas over here. I need him," she said. Kyo dragged him, -making him skin his cheek- and dropped him. She looked at them one more time, and then gave him a hug.

A huge cloud of white swirling fog appeared, and when it cleared, a unicorn stood there.

Its neck was strong, and shimmering. A gleaming horn was placed regally on her silvery brow. Her legs were skinny and her whole body was covered with a fine covering of gentle, velvety fuzz.

She leaned over, gently poking the wound with her sharp horn. In a flash of light, the wounds vanished.

She wobbled, teetering, then fell down onto the cold tile.

"Thanks guys, for catching Me." she mumbled.

"You're a, a real unicorn?" Kyo asked, dumbstruck. Yuki's mouth hung open " but, those are only in fairy tales!" he said, awed and shocked

"That is giving the human imagination WAY too much credit." She groaned, getting to her hoofs.

Yuki moved to touch her fur. He didn't know what to do, so he gave her a pat on the head.

"Gee, thanks, I just saved your best friend's life and all I get is a pat on the head. Not only did you let me fall, but all I get is a pat!" she murmured, and Kyo stared at her. Haru was smirking.

"I knew there was a connection, we share an ancestor!" he said. She rolled her eyes.

" So, rose, how did you become a- a-." Yuki stuttered.

"Say it with me u-ni- corn- uni- corn, unicorn." She said, and Kyo laughed.

"Cat got your tongue?" she asked him. Kyo stopped laughing

"Hey!" he cried.

"What?" she asked. Then she seemed to piece it together.

"You don't turn into a cat for that matter, do you?" she asked. He stood still for a moment, like he was wondering weather to trust her or not, then nodded

There was silence for a while, until Yuki broke it.

"Now what do we do?" he asked

"Well, lets see, you could get something to mop up the blood, hide the guns, get blankets, get us something to eat, call someone who you know, pray the storm ends, call 911, call the coppers, wipe Tohru clean of all her blood, find her a new shirt, tie up Mr. Pervert there, restrain Simon, restrain me." she rattled off.

"Why would we have to restrain you?" he asked

"Simon said that she wasn't the only one he hurt." She hissed, her voice cold. She looked at him.

"Well, Rose, I guess we need an introduction." Haru said, diplomatically. He walked up to her, bowing.

"Haru Soma, at your service." He said. When he stood up, she offered her hand

"What do you want me to do with it?" he asked

"You know, shake hands?" she asked. He smiled, and then shook her hand.

"Yuki soma, and Kyo soma." He introduced the others. They nodded, shaking her hand

"So, how did you become a unicorn?" Yuki asked, eyes alight with a thirst for knowledge.

" Same way you did, I suppose. My grandma stabbed me, and she was one. No one thought I had gotten it, that I had changed, I was so young then, but I had. Then Simon had to come in." she murmured, glaring at his tied up figure. They had found some rope and tied him and his friends to a gleaming pillar. " That bastard killed my family, forcing me to be an orphan." She hissed, getting to her feet.

Of course, because her luck just ran out, - and because the author is evil-, Simon woke up at that exact moment.

His eyes locked on hers, and they widened.

"But, I killed you!" he hissed.

She smiled sweetly, walking up to him.

"What are you?" he whispered in fear.

"You don't remember me?" she asked, her limbs shaking. " Maybe you would remember my mother who begged you to let her children live, maybe you would remember my little sister, who you buried alive! Maybe you would remember my father, who you forced to kill my mother, maybe you would remember the unborn child that my mother was carrying!" she screamed, eyes streaming with tears. " You strangled my fiancé, Henry, you bastard. I could fill many volumes of the torture I had to endure, but I don't want to give you gratification. Your goal was to play with my family. Not only play, but get away from it, well, you know what, your done running! I will chase you down, you'd better hope Hell wants you, because you have about as much chance of going there as I am of dying!" she screamed. " I will personally make you immortal, then torture you every single day of my life, until you want to kill yourself, until you beg me for mercy, and you know what, I am not going to give it to you. Show you some mercy; I think not, you never showed compassion for Jasmine! Or for my mother, Rhena, or my father, Ash!" her eyes were chilling, and her words were sharp enough to cut the air.

"I heard my sister hit the bottom of her grave, I heard her when she gasped for air. I heard her last screams! You bastard!" Rose screamed, throwing herself at him, beating him up. She slapped him

" She was five you bastard! Five! She had lost her first tooth! It was her birthday!" she screamed " you bastard!" Yuki restrained her as she clung to him, sobbing

When she was calm, she hissed at him

"Of coarse, you weren't expecting me to be here, did you? Because of what I am, I can't age; my body doesn't get old. It's been a while. Your sixty now? Yeah, I'm still 17! I went back, after you left me for death, I went back, and I dug my sister up. She was dead! You bastard! All because I refused you. I stuck up for myself. You had to get rid of the evidence, didn't you?" her voice was deadly cold, colder than the wind outside, and colder than the North Pole, in winter.

"No, you know what I'm going to do, I will avenge them. I know I can't kill you; I wouldn't even waste my time on you. But here is what I will do. I will visit you, everyday, until the day you die, and I will tell you the story of my family, of those you killed. I don't know how many, but the trail isn't just Tohru and me. There are grieving families out there, and if I have to live my damned life out, then I'm going live it making your regret my responsibility. If not regretting their deaths, I want to make you regret murdering my family." She finished, and before anyone could stop her, she flipped one of the guns off the floor, and shot him in the crotch. He gasped, then cried, and then fainted.

"There never was a tale more filled with woe, then that of Juliet and Romeo." She whispered

She dropped the gun, going to check on Tohru.

Kyo was wincing, guarding his own crotch. Yuki and Haru were doing the same

"Kind of makes you feel bad for him." Kyo said, then amended, " I said Kind of, but he deserved It." he whispered

When they walked up to Tohru, Rose was cradling her.

"That bastard, he isn't going to hurt you anymore. If I could, I would shoot him to the point of death." She whispered. Tears flowed down her face. Her cheeks were red and puffy.

"Won't he die anyways, from blood loss?" Kyo asked

She turned her head to him

"No, he won't. You think I would be so careless as to let him off so easy?" he asked, rocking Tohru gently. Tohru moaned, then her blue eyes opened

She sat up quickly, her breathing fats.

"KYO! She screamed, looking at the bloodstain on the floor.

"No, no!" she screamed, collapsing.

Kyo put his fingers under her chin, lifting her eyes to his.

She looked deeply into them, and then cried.

"You are the single most stupid person I have ever met! Why did you take my bullet, I am stronger, I would have handled it!" he scolded. She cried more.

"I couldn't watch you die. You have so much, so much, to live for. I promised myself. I promised myself that you would be happy. That your smile you wear sometimes would remain. I couldn't, no, I wouldn't, and I never could have let that smile fade." She whispered. She rubbed the tears away.

He felt an emotion burst into his lungs. Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her for a few precious seconds.

Then, she was holding a cat. She smiled, and then hugged him closer.

Yuki smiled, and then sat down next to everyone.

"Where did Haru go?" she asked. Yuki's eyes flashed to where Simon was. Simon was still out, and so were the other two boys.

All people's eyes were trained on Haru, who was walking over, pushing a wheeling cart. It had mops, blankets, food, water, pillows, extra clothing, heating blankets, an extension cord, bungee cords, ropes, a couple of locks, a hammer, a first aid kit, and many other things.

"Hey, I thought I would just get the things we will need." He whispered, tossing Tohru a sweatshirt

She blushed, putting it on. She was pulling it over her head when she felt it stop. She took it off.

" You don't want to ruin the sweater, here, take this." Kyo said, pushing the article in question to her. it was his shirt. She opened her mouth to argue, but he pushed a paw to her lips. Yuki was helping Haru clean up.

She blushed, and then picked it up. Rose helped her change into it. When she was done, she was leaning against Rose. She shivered.

Kyo jumped up and curled around her throat

" Kyo, you don't have too." She said. Her eyelids were dropping fast

" Hey, don't worry about it. It is a comfort. I haven't been close to you in so long. You nearly died. Don't ever do it again."

After a while, Yuki was up, staring at Simon, keeping Guard.

Simon stared back

" What are you looking at?" he snapped

Yuki grinned. " I still haven't figured that out yet. I'm thinking somewhere between a dog and a monster." Yuki hissed

"I won! I won!" he said.

"Good job, Wahoo to you, time to go collect your winnings, oh, wait, you don't have any." Yuki scolded

" Aren't you going to shoot, me, take your anger out on me?" he asked

"Wouldn't it hurt more if I didn't?" Yuki hissed back

At that moment, Thomas chimed in

"You just wish you got to kiss her." Thomas smirked

"You know, I would have thought you would have been more intelligent. You really want to provoke me?" Yuki asked, cocking the gun

"You don't have the guts to shoot me, almost like the way you don't have the guts to face the school, to make friendships." He sneered

Yuki smiled

" You know, I never opened up to anyone until Tohru, and since this is about her, well, there's a first for everything, isn't there?" Yuki asked, walking forwards

He put the gun to Thomas's head, watching Simon and the other boy, whose name was Alex.

" You ever touch her again," Yuki threatened, pressing it into Thomas's blonde curls. Thomas nodded, eyes wide with fear.

"You ever stare at her again." Yuki hissed, pressing it to the flesh underneath Thomas's chin

"And if you ever think of her again, " he hissed, slamming the barrel into Thomas's throat.

After a few moments, Yuki returned to his post, not the least bit tired.

--

Hey ya'all its Angietheunicorn

**I want to thank my wonderful reviewers. **

**So here is the play list**

**--**

**Girlfriends, Jamie O'Neal**

**Redneck Woman, Gretchen Wilson**

**A night to Remember, Shedaisy**

**5 minutes till midnight, Boys like Girls**

**99 Red Balloons, Goldfinger, AFI, Blondie.**

**And many others**

**Ok, so this story is about wrapped up, basically, but there WILL be a sequel.**

**It will be called 'duck, duck, GOOSE!'**

**Maybe. It depends though. I don't want to write a story that is over clichéd.**

**But, you know, I am spending time writing this when I could be working on my _non-existing_ algebra 2 homework. I would LOVE it if you reviewed, but hey, I know that some people are so busy. They can't take five seconds… Oh well.**

**I have some funny stuff posted.**

**Others stories you should check out:**

**51 things the Prince Yuki Fan Club is not allowed to do…**

**And**

**51 things Shigure Soma MUST remember**


	12. Building up my ARMor

_**Disclaimer, I own nothing, you hear me**_

_**Disclaimer, I own nothing**_

_**Good.**_

_**Movinng on...**_

**The song for this chapter is 'Holding out for a hero' by Frou Frou. Look it up, it is good.**

**The song for the second part of this chapter is 'Move Along' by the All American Rejects.**

**Yeah, so I am REALLY pumped for the sequel. I am sure it is going to be called, Deck, Duck, Goose, but I am contemplating it to be 'London Bridge is falling down,' although it will most likely be the former.**

**This is the last chapter, I believe, so remember, any questions you have will be answered. Read the print on the bottom, then, if you have any others, review with the question, and then I will explain it.**

**Thanks for reading, providing names, threatening to kill Simon, **_**-- Kyki- The Late Night Writer-- **_**and leaving wonderful reviews. I never thought this idea would go this far. I just thought of it when I was supposed to be listening to Mrs. Patel lecture about solids, liquids and gases.**

**But I have spent hours of fun reviewing, reading and correcting these chapters.**

**Thanks for bearing with me when you wanted me to update.**

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Shigure?" Rose asked, coming into his office. She looked nervous, her blue eyes clouded with concern. She was worried about Thoru. When Tohru had returned home, her meals were good, but they had lost their flavors. She screamed at night, and tried to be happy. Kisa and Momiji noticed it, along with the rest of the house, but no one pressed her. When she was caught crying, she would say she was washing her face, and no one would press her.

"Yes, Rose?" he asked. He had a pen in his hand, working on a comic. Ironically enough, it was the same story that Tohru had gone through, but with different names. She paced nervously, and then walked over to the bookshelf. She brushed her pale fingers along the crisp spines. Her eyes scanned them without seeing them. She wanted to stay with Tohru. She remembered that period after her family died. She would have been labeled catatonic, or unresponsive. Rose had refused to eat, to do anything. She just sat there and cried, and cried, and cried. She took a deep breath.

" I was wondering, do you think that… that I could, you know, crash here?" she asked, and then she rushed into her next sentence. " I mean, it will only be until I can find somewhere else to go…" she trailed off. He smiled at her language. It had been a while since he heard the term 'crash here' as staying the night. Yes, she brought spice to the house.

"Feel free to stay here, as long as you want." He said. Her face broke out into a smile. Shigure wondered about what everyone brought to the house. Kyo brought the fire, Rose the spice, Tohru the warmth, well, until recently, before the Simon Says incident, and Yuki, he brought the sugar. He smiled, and then wondered what he brought. He smirked.

He is bringing Sexy back.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Tohru was sitting on her bed, knees up against her chest. The sunlight flowed through her open window. She was unseeing. Her eyes were focused on the quilt in front of her. Her fingers dully traced the pattern, along the flower petals and around the leaves.

She closed her eyes, wanting to feel the sunlight shining on her skin. She took a deep breath as she let it soak her skin. She sighed, hearing the silence, the warm silence that filled the room. Then the memories hit.

_Simon was aiming the gun at Kyo, and Kyo didn't even notice it. The gun went off, except, Tohru couldn't move. She saw him fall, eyes wide and unseeing. She heard him fall. She saw the blood pour out of his chest, staining his shirt. He looked at her, pleading for help. She didn't move, she couldn't she cried out to him, but no sound came out._

"No, Kyo, no!" she said softly. She closed her eyes. Two crystal tears slipped from her cheeks, leaving a silvery trail glinting. She shook her head, as if trying to get rid of the images. It didn't work. Her throat closed off, and she tried to shake them out again.

She slammed her hands to her ears, like that would stop them from forming.

_She could remember clearly his hands, traveling lower than ever before. She was ready to cry. The tears formed in her eyes. Her throat stung sharply._

_'Where is my hero' she wondered, then she realized something. There was no hero. No one was coming to save her. She was alone. She wasn't going to be saved. She couldn't save herself._

Tohru struggled weakly, unknowingly, twisting in her bed. She cried, clutching her knees closer. The comforter and the sheets twisted around her, like his arms. She fought to be rid of them, and fell out of the bed. The comforter muffled her thud. She was trapped though, lost among her memories, Traumatized and scarred beyond recognition.

_"Just think Tohru, look at Kyo's hands, and look at what you caused. Look at Yuki; he's clearly unhealthy. He hasn't been eating, all because of you. You are to blame." Simon taunted. "Kisa was terrorized, Akito was angry with everyone. You got them into so much trouble." His voice was smooth, like velvet. Velvet covered with ground up poison Ivy. " They have to take care of you, they always have to save you. You can't even take care of yourself. If your not going to pull your weight in this world, what makes you think you deserve to live?"_

" No." she whispered, grasping her knees closer. This was in her past. He was in jail; she had seen the police take him off. She had seen him in jail, when she had to testify against him. She saw the big men take him away. She wasn't responsible. He was gone. She remembered the cold hard look of horror in his eyes, after smirking at her. She could remember the hate burning in Rose's eyes as she screamed at Simon.

_" Maybe you would remember my mother who begged you to let her children live, maybe you would remember my little sister, who you buried alive! Maybe you would remember my father, who you forced to kill my mother, maybe you would remember the unborn child that my mother was carrying!"_

_Rose cried. Rose's form twisted, until Tohru saw herself, trying to save Kyo, digging until her hands bled raw. She knew he was under there, she new he was going to die. She couldn't let that happen._

_Thomas came over, stroking her hands gently._

_"It's going to be ok. This is where we are going to have the marriage!" he cried, and rubbed his hand along her own._

_"Tohru, Tohru," he scolded, seeing her tears_

"Tohru?" Kyo asked, coming into the kitchen. The space was empty, the place tidy and neat, cold and uninviting without her in the kitchen. Or maybe it was because of the new her. She wasn't there. He felt panic. Simon was in jail; Simon was going to be tried and executed. His heart sped up, and he felt his throat catch. She had been ripped from him too many times for him to think logically about this. He could still remember the trial that he was to attend with her, and he could remember the tears she cried, and the fact that she needed a hug, something he couldn't give her without it causing problems.

_Kyo looked over at the bound prisoner. He had rolled his sleeves up to reveal his unmarked arms, his biceps clenching and unclenching in the bright light that was spilling in from the windows. _

_Simon grunted, refusing to move from the hallway. The trial for Thomas the blonde and Alex, the red head had already taken place._

_One of the cops grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him._

_For a moment, Simon's bare upper arms were shone. They were glowing in the light. He didn't have any blemishes, or they would stand out way too much._

_"Guilty as charged, Simon, you are under the arrest for the murder of many lives, for the assault and abuse of Rose Carter, and the murder of Rhena and Ash carter, along with the murder of Henry Smithson and Jasmine Carter. You are charged for the abuse and assault of miss Tohru Honda, as well as the Sexual assault of Freya Mackey, Saundra Lemonshnook, and Sandy Morgan. You are thus charged with many un-recorded cases of rape, murder and abuse, how do you plead?" the pale judge asked, glaring at Simon. Rose was smiling at him, a victorious gleam in her eyes. She was washing him be brought to justice._

_"Guilty as charged." He murmured, looking Rose in the eye and smirked. She glared at him, her fists shaking._

_"Simon, I hereby condemn you to die at the executioner's seat. The date is yet to be set, but you will reside in the local jail cell for the time under high guards, along with those who helped you." He said, and then smacked the table with his little hammer. With a wosh of his tall phrame, and the last flicker of his pale hair, the judge had sealed Simon's fate._

He searched the house, looking frantically through all the rooms. When he slid her door opened, he froze.

She was sprawled over the floor, her legs twisted in her sheets. He could hear her cry. The light fell on her, making her shirt glow. He couldn't help but think that she looked like a mourning angel. The covers were light, and glowed too. She looked like she was wearing a sweeping robe. His heart went out to her.

He saw her shoulders rise and fall softly. Her cries sounded like a whipped puppy.

"Tohru? Are you alright?" he asked, and she leapt up, scrubbing her face. She had red eyes, with shadows and bags underneath it. She hadn't gotten any sleep. The nightmares would always wake her up. Rose tried to heal her memories but they weren't shallow enough. They were deep, deeper than anything she could heal. Her skin was slightly paler than it should, and they had to remind her to eat. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Simon, laughing at her, or killing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, you know, washing my face." She cried, her voice watery. He didn't buy it. He put a hand on either shoulder, and looked her in the eyes.

"You aren't fine." He told her. She looked into his fiery eyes, seeing them. They were concerned, shifting through her thoughts, searching, like he was trying to find something.

She slowly shook her head.

"No, I'm not ok." She said, and then perked up, sniffing. "But I'll be fine, mom always said that I shouldn't let anything bring me down." She said, wiping her eyes again. Her voice was hoarse and cracking. Her lips were chapped, not bleeding because of Rose, but still chapped.

"Tohru, I don't think that running into a serial killer is what she meant. You nearly died, many times. It's ok to cry." He said

She turned and sat on her bed, looking to the sunlight. It was pouring into the room like it always did, but this time, something had changed. The room didn't seem happy anymore. It seemed fake, like the happiness was just a sugar coating.

" If only I hadn't went walking that day." She whispered. Kyo sat down next to her. He wrapped a blanket around her, thinking. After he did that, he wrapped his arms around her. Her eyes went wide " I was so sacred." She seemed to notice his arms around her. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"You, you didn't transform." She said, slowly. She leaned back, and sighed. Her eyes dropped, and he could see her in need of sleep. She opened her blue eyes again. They were changed. They weren't the same eyes. Sure, before she had gone through this, there was a veil of sadness, but there was always the spark of excitement, the joy of living, happiness, in them. Now they were older eyes, mature, grieving. They had seen the evils of this world. No happiness in her eyes, just sorrow, anger, and wisdom beyond her age.

"I guess not." He said. He watched her, watching her eyes. They were pooled with tears. He recalled her earlier statement.

"If only I had known that you were going to meet a serial killer, then I'm sure Yuki wouldn't have planted his secret base. I mean, if he never planted the secret base, you wouldn't have been out getting strawberries, thus you would never have gotten kidnapped. If only I had known there would be someone after you, then I would have watched you day and night." He said " or, you know, if you mom knew that if she died, she would leave you to live in a tent, then to find us, and then, knowing you would meet Yuki and get introduced to his secret base, then, if she knew you were going to get kidnapped, she never would have died, so I guess it's either, Yuki's my, or your mom's fault." He said, watching her confused expression.

"NO! No, that's not what I meant. It wasn't Yuki's fault he planted his garden, it wasn't your fault you weren't there. It wasn't my mom's fault that I went through this experience." She reassured him. She gave him a weak smile. It didn't reach her eyes,

"Then it isn't your fault that you are too dang beautiful for your own good." He whispered. She turned to look at him

"I'm not-" Rose, who had walked in, cut her off

"You are." She said, and Kyo jumped

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, I sear!" he yelled. She gave him her death glare. He ignored it. They stood there, nose to nose, almost setting the air in between their eyes on fire. They didn't notice how childish they looked. Rose's fists were clenched to her sides, arms as stiff as boards.

While they were pondering ways to kill each other, Tohru burst into laughter. It flowed from her mouth like water from a waterfall. Her eyes were closed in contentment, and her lips were perked in laughter.

They both looked at her, surprised to hear her laughter. Kyo smiled, and then joined in. Rose smiled, and Yuki stuck his head in. his eyes were happy that she was laughing.

" Is everything ok, Miss, Honda?" he asked, looking at Rose, who was laughing. She turned and glared at him. Yuki looked shocked that Tohru was laughing. He hadn't seen her smile in over 3 weeks. She had still been having nightmares.

"Watch out Yuki, she might glare at you!" Kyo said, giving her a playful glare. Tohru pushed the blankets off her to sir cross-legged on her bed, laughing.

Rose turned and hit him in the jaw. He tumbled backwards, falling onto the bed. He sat on Tohru. Poof. A huge cloud welled up and then dispersed.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Shigure looked at the ceiling, hearing Tohru's laughter ring out. It was a cause for celebration! He picked up the phone, and then dialed Ayame's number.

/\/\/\/\/

Kyo then was a cat. He was draped over her knees. He had a bored look on his face.

"Ha ha very funny." He said, and Rose laughed. The sunlight in the room highlighted her blonde hair, and illuminated her blue eyes.

"What was that for, anyways?" he demanded, glaring at her. She tweaked his nose. He snapped at her, and she laughed. She ruffled his orange fur playfully.

"Does Kyo want some meow mix?" she asked, making baby faces at him. He glared, and then smiled smugly at her.

She looked confused.

"I don't like the look of you when your like that!" she said, and then he leapt, and gave her a hug. He was a cat, hugging a woman.

"Kyo, that isn't going to do anything-," Yuki said, but then gasped as the cloud poofed. Silvery in the light, it too, dispersed.

She was sitting there, the orange cat curled around her horn. She looked up, glaring at him. The sunlight glinting off her fur was almost painful to look at.

"Hey, just because I transform when ANY guy hugs me doesn't mean you have to be mean." She scolded. Tohru laughed some more.

"But you pushed me onto Tohru, you shouldn't hit people!" he retorted, glaring at her from above her.

"Only because you wouldn't flipping stop teasing me!" she growled, which was an odd sight, seeing how she was a unicorn. They heard, but ignored, a small step taken into the room by a newcomer.

"Kyo, still immature as usual," Akito said from the door. His voice was cold and etched.

Everyone stopped laughing, they all stared at him. His eyes locked onto the unicorn.

"So, Kisa wasn't lying." He said calmly. " Interesting." Everyone was holding his or her breath, waiting to see what would happen. Rose didn't look intimidated though; she looked like she was enjoying this.

Rose stiffened. "Thanks, you can stop looking at me like I am a science project, thanks." She scolded, and everyone's eyes flew to hers. Akito's flashed at her.

"You dare?" he asked, outraged. His hands clenched and unclenched.

"Of course, I dare. I heard some of the stuff that's been going on around here, especially with Hatori's eye, so I would suggest you stop. Also, I don't know much about the culture around here, but I know there are very strong family ties, but you ain't my father." She gulped. , "So I don't have to respect you because you are my family.." She said. He glared at her

"I am the head of this family, and I deserve respect." He growled

"I don't give people respect, they earn It.," she snapped back, getting to her hooves. She glared up at him. He towered over her, he was looking down, and she was looking up. The hate between each other was almost pliable.

"What are you going to do, poke me with your horn?" he asked. She smiled sweetly at him

"I could say a couple of things…." She said, her eyes going wide. Her mouth twisted into an o and her brow cocked in surprise.

"Your good, Akito, very good, but I can tell those sort of things. I have the power to heal, so I can sense things about the human body that many try to cover up." She smirked. " So I would watch it, unless you want everyone to know something about cross dressers."

" What are you talking about? You know nothing!" he yelled, and threw his fist at her. He hit…. well, empty air. She was behind him. She pricked her horn against the back of his neck

"Listen, you bastard, I don't care what you did in your past. I see the bruises on Kisa; I can feel the abuse on Yuki's back. I might not be far off when I say you did it, but I don't judge. Show me that you have changed, that you aren't on your way to becoming a Simon. Prove to me. Respect me, and what do I do, respect you. I am not a father, I don't know what you go through, but fifty lashings are crying to me from Yuki's back, so unless you want me to put you in your place, I suggest you stop." She hissed, lower than Yuki or Kyo could hear. He nodded, and she moved her horn away from his neck. She pranced off, smiling happily.

"I win." She said, her voice cheerful.

He sighed, and then slowly got up. He turned to look at her, absolute hate in his eyes. He smirked.

"Good day, Rose, Yuki, Kyo, Miss Honda." He said, addressing her like a maid

"Good, not the best, but it's your first being kind, so I'll accept It." Rose said. He stormed out.

"You want to explain what that was about, Rose?" Yuki asked, looking at her in a confused manner.

"No." she said, simply. She then smiled, and turned to Kyo.

"Where were we?" she asked him. he looked confused, and then he, too smiled.

The room soon filled with laughter, rebounding against the walls. Yuki looked at Tohru, seeing her face brighten up. Color flared in her cheeks, and she looked a ton healthier. The room seemed to brighten too. The dread that had been hanging over her shoulders had decreased. It was still there, but her laughing brought about a new outlook to her. An outlook that said that she was willing to give life another chance, that she was ready to get better and move on.

Kyo smiled, noticing the same thing. He laughed some more. Simon was done, he was going to be killed, and he wouldn't have to worry about him.

The room seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off of the air, and the people laughed, feeling the tension lift.

They were all just a bunch of crazy teens, laughing together, enjoying the day. They didn't have to worry about murder, riddles or games. The troubles and concerns of the future were of no consequence as they laughed, together. They all came from different backgrounds, different stories, different trials and troubles, but they all were laughing.

When they had finished laughing, Kyo turned to Tohru. Her eyes still held the burden, sorrow, but the spark of life was back.

"Do you feel any better?" he asked. She smiled, and then nodded.

"I'm sure it will hurt for a while, and I'm sure I will have nightmares, but I'm alive, I can get over It.," she said, and then her face dropped

"But Simon, he can't change. He is going to die in his sins. He has no chance to change. He isn't going to live." She whispered. Even Yuki was shocked

"Tohru, he tried to kill you, and yet, you feel sorry for him?" Rose asked, her anger flaring. "He has hurt many girls, he has raped them, killed them. He has tortured human beings, how can you be on his side?" she asked.

"I'm not on his side, what he did is wrong, but he has a brilliant mind, he was a smart man. Can you imagine what kind of problems he could solve in the world if he had chosen to be good, and not evil? My mom said that people grow up in different ways due to their childhoods. Maybe he didn't have a mother, maybe all he learned was pain, maybe his childhood was filled with beatings and maybe his mom and dad did bad things, and that was how he grew up." She said, her eyes on the bed cover.

"Maybe, but after he left, he could have been different, he could have changed, but he didn't." Yuki said, thinking about what kind of person he would have turned out to be if Tohru hadn't showed up. Maybe he would have been like Simon. Akito had beaten Yuki as a child, and if what she was saying was true then he had the chance of being like Simon. Maybe he wouldn't have been like Simon, but he would never have been able to feel like he fit in, and who knows where that could go. He had never shown his true feelings, so sooner or later, if it wasn't for her, he would have exploded.

"Then how come there are people out there who have childhoods that totally suck, yet they turn out to be good people?" Kyo asked, hand in his hair.

"Because they see what they will become, and they chose deliberately to be different." She answered. " You can have someone like lets say Hitler, who was an artist when he was young. He grew up to have millions of people murdered, and then you have someone like FDR, who had polio, but still worked on. We are what we make ourselves out to me. No matter what, we can change our situation. As long as we want to change, as long as we have hope, as long as we hold on, we can endure anything." She said. They were all watching her, hooked on her words, drinking them in like a parched man drinks water.

"Yeah. I guess your living proof of that." Rose said, smiling , after a moment of silence.

Her head snapped up. "What? What are you talking about?" she asked

"Your father died when you were young, you never had that much money, your mom died, you had to work when you were in school, you were tossed form relative to relative. You could have hated the rich because they had something you lacked. You could have lived in misery, and never talked to anyone. You could have given up on school, and on your job, but you didn't" Kyo said, and she thought about it for a minute.

There was silence in the room for a minute. Then it was broken by Shigure's voice.

" Yuki, Ayame is coming over for dinner tonight with Hatori, and he wants to take Tohru and you and Kyo with him to a restaurant!" he called up the stairs.

"WHAT!" Yuki asked, whipping around, glaring at his figure.

"I told him you wanted to bond with him!" was his reply.

Yuki stood there, a small smile on his face.

Kyo became scared. It was never a good sign when Yuki smirked about Ayame.

"It's a good thing I know where you live Shigure." He said

"Why?" he asked, leaning on the doorway, looking pristine and at ease.

"I don't have to worry about where to send the body." He said, and then he smirked. Laughter was rebounding off of the walls. Tohru looked at every person in the room. She smiled.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

So far, my life has gotten better. Kisa and the others came over yesterday, and they all seemed happy. Yuki and Ayame had a little bit of bonding time. As I watched them, I heard the door slid open. Kyo came in. he looked at me.

"You ok?" he asked, smiling at me

" I am now." I said. I had done it. The smile was still on his face.

So I guess that my life will get easier now, I guess that there is a reason for all the trials I've been through. My mom once said that when you give crap to flowers, they grow better.

I smiled, watching the young ones play. Rose and Kyo were arguing again, and Hiro had even come, I saw he was generally worried about me, maybe for Kisa's sake alone, but still, it was nice

"Hey, lets play a game!" Shigure said, Ayame and Hatori standing in the doorway.

"How about Simon says?" Ayame said. The room went silent.

"I think that we have all had our fill of that game." Tohru said, jokingly. Everyone smiled, and then laughed, and the house remained at peace.

_**Ok, I know this was a bit rushed, but I am **__**REALLY**__** pumped for DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE!!**_

_**Ok, no here are some **__**points**__** I wanted to **__**clear up.**_

**Simon is psychotic, but he is also a doctor, so he knows the nervous system, so he knows where it hurts the most. He is a brilliant mind, but he used his mind for bad things.**

_**Simon tried to assault Rose when he was younger, but it didn't work, she fought him off. He had to destroy the evidence, or the police would catch him, so he killed her family. He didn't know that she would come back. He used his own ways to mark his crimes. With him, it was both mental and physical torture.**_

_**The reason someone dies is because their cells age and the body breaks down. Because Rose in a unicorn, her cells heal every single second that they age, thus keeping her young.**_

_**Simons doesn't understand that Rose is a unicorn, but he knows that she has eternal life, in his views. He knows that she can't be killed easily, something that comes up later on.**_

_**The blood that Tohru was drenched in the picture was the blood of the tiger that Simon killed. If you read carefully, in one chapter, I said that the tiger only had a slit throat, then, when it's Simons' point of view in the next chapter, you see him pass the tiger's carcass, the head detached from the body. It's the little inconsistencies people!**_

_**At the beginning of chapter eight, we all assumed that since the person said they were crazy, and that they couldn't stop, we all assumed it was Simon. It was not Simon. It was Tohru, wondering if she should find Kyo, to give him hope. Tohru had always blamed herself for the things that go wrong, so if you re read it and keep in mind that it is Tohru, is should make more sense. She would always cause pain for them as long as she was breathing. She was holding his wallet because Simon knew she was there, but after he had picked it up off of the counter, he too, had dropped it. She had found it, and then bribed the guard using the little money she had on her.**_

_**The chapter heading for chapter six is 'getting Ahead of myself' thus referring to the tiger's head incident.**_

_**The reason Tohru chose to hug Haru instead of Kyo or Yuki would be size difference. I can't see a rat or cat doing much damage to a killer, but a cow can. So it made sense in my mind. Also, Simon only knows that Rose and Haru are odd, that Haru transforms, and that WILL come into play later in the sequel.**_

_**Rose is a slightly forgetful person, so when she saw Tohru, she didn't realize the extent of the damage. She had heard the gun go off, but to her, it was just a loud noise. She can use her healing power a little when she is a human, but not for deep wounds. In order to heal those, she has to be a unicorn**_

_**Rose turns into a unicorn when ANY guy hugs her. Zodiac or not. She is not a Zodiac animal, so I had to give her her own rules to live by.**_

_**The way rose got her power was from her family. I know it is different than that of the zodiac, but she is an AMERICAN, and she has to do things her own way. **_

_**Simons's origin and how he knew the Soma's can be confusing so here is a watered down version that might not be that confusing. Ok, Hatori had a friend he grew up with, whose name was Simon. Lets call him Simon sr. ok, so Simon sr. watched Hatori as he grew up. After they became good friends, Simon sr. wanted Hatori to get married, have kids, and loosen up. Yeah, didn't happen. So Simon sr. leaves, and then goes to medical school. He comes back, sees the change in him-Hatori-, and wonders about Kana, and the changes she made on him.. He leaves again, trains Simon Says, and then comes back for the last time. He sees Kana gone, and then leaves again, where he gets cancer, becomes bedridden, lets Simon says wander around, and then sends a letter and dies. He dies when he is really old, like lets say 92. You must remember, he was a doctor, so he knew how to remain healthy. I hope that clears things up. Remember, all through this time, they are exchanging letters and such, so Simon sr. knows a lot about the Soma family, but not about their secret. If he kept the letters, that would be hoe Simon Says knows the Somas.**_

_**Rose can heal some painful memories, only some though. Most of the time, they either forget why they felt pain when they remember it, or they don't remember it. Some memories she can't heal**_

_**Now, why did Simon choose Tohru? Simple, even though it isn't stated. He learned form his mentor, Simon sr. that the Soma's were different, and he was obsessed with the whole magic deal. Also, Tohru is young and attractive, so hey, he was reminded of Rose. Also, he is off his rocker, so that might have something to do with it.**_

_**Rose can scan your body to check for wounds. That was how she knew that spoiler alert! That was how she knew that Akito is a . You thought I would tell**_

_**When the body receives wounds in the same place over and over, the tissue remembers it, and bears a record, that was how she could know about Yuki's abuse and Kisa's wounds.**_

_**Rosa can heal animals too, BTW**_

_**Ok, I hope that clears things up, if not, review this chapter with questions.**_


	13. Chapter 13sequel

Sequel is now up

**Sequel is now up!!**

**See Duck, Duck, GOOSE!!**


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